Uncommon Minds
by hazelmom
Summary: McGee accidentally engages a serial killer. If only giving his own life were enough to stop Sebastian. More McAbby in later chapters. Lots of Tony/Tim/Gibbs friendship. Rated M for themes of violence. Final Chapter up!
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I am new to this fandom. Just started to watch the show a couple of months ago, but I have tried to do my homework on the canon. Let me know if I screw up. I'm nuts for McGee. He's adorable. So there is McGee whumpage. I don't know if there will be any pairing. I like Abby, but she needs to grow up a bit when it comes to McGee. My chapters tend to be a little long, but I work very hard on them. Please let me know if you are reading and enjoying this story. Sheila

Uncommon Minds

Chapter 1

It was easy for McGee to get lost in his work. He loved the flow of a problem and the challenge in seeking the solution. Sometimes, it came back to bite him as he tended to get too lost in his reverie to hear Gibbs or Tony call for him. He'd snap his heads up once he connected the sounds as if waking from a trance. Gibbs tolerated little, but he tolerated this. Tim's intense concentration was an important element of his brilliance just as Abby's quirkiness was part of hers.

It was a Friday afternoon and Time was buried in a cold case file. While Tony and Ziva were discussing their perspective weekend plans, Tim was lost in a world of his own. DiNozzo was used to this, and knew that his last act for the week would be to wake up his probie and push him out the door for the weekend.

The cold case was going nowhere, but McGee was fascinated by the technological aspects of it. Cybercrimes had literally chased an internet stalker through the net, building code upon code in an effort to keep up with the firewalls and phony IP addresses the criminal used as decoys. McGee himself has learned these tracking codes in Cybercrimes. He'd taken them home, and practiced with them. When he needed diversion after a tough case, sometimes he'd sit down and work on these tracking codes. He wanted to develop ways to follow criminals on the web no matter how many diversions was thrown in his path. Sometimes Abby helped him, but she didn't much anymore. She acted almost wary of him these days and this saddened him greatly. He was desperate to have her close again as a colleague if nothing else.

There had always been a symmetry in how the two of them worked together. Their minds complemented one another; his focusing her mind and hers pushing his mind outside the box. It was fluid and exhilarating. The chemistry in those times was something they each protected like a precious artifact. They were very careful to not to disrupt it: Tim by creating unshakeable rules about his life and Abby by dancing away from any potential depth they developed.

Bored by the cold case, Tim had gone hunting. He was familiar enough with the pathways they'd developed together to be able to engage in a chase without Abby, and in recent weeks, he'd developed a program that detected suspicious activity.

"McGeek! Wake up there, boy." Tony was hovering over him.

McGee jerked his head back. "What time is it?"

"It is Friday and it is 5 p.m. It is time for you to put your toys away and go home."

"Time went so fast."

Tony sighed. "No one else on this planet says that about paperwork. Only you, McBureaucrat."

Tim shrugged. "Go on ahead. I have a couple of things to finish."

"That will only make me look bad, my little dork a doodle. You're already like two weeks ahead of the rest of us in regards to cold cases. Boss reminds me of it on a daily basis. It has to be stopped."

Tim gestured at the screen. "I'm not working a case. See."

"Then what are you doing?"

He shrugged. "Stuff."

"Come on, Timmy. I'll take you out for Happy Hour. We both missed lunch. We'll have chicken wings and beer."

Tim raised an eyebrow. "No date?"

"Not for another four hours. Come on. I would hate to come in on Monday and find out that you never left. Boss will find a way to blame me."

"Sorry, Tony, raincheck. I want to play a little with this idea in my head. Appreciate you offer though."

Tony shook his head. "And you're confused as to why I haze you? I mean, seriously."

One end of his mouth curled up. "Do not hurt your head with deep thoughts, DiNozzo. You haze me because I exist. End of story."

DiNozzo smiled. "I'm going to call the front desk in an hour. I find out you haven't left yet and I'm going to tell Gibbs you forget took the safety off your gun during the raid last week."

McGee's eyes widened. "Seriously, I, I'll be out of here in twenty minutes."

Tony grinned and took off. McGee knew enough to take him seriously. Gibbs would be furious. As much as he had grown, McGee still showed little propensity or instinct for acting in the moment. He was getting better, but he would never be the agent Gibbs would choose to lead a raid or an arrest. His overreliance on logic had left his gut instincts sorely underused.

He went back to the computer and climbed back into the idea of using his tracking programs on an NCIS processor. He would only dabble. Tony loved to follow through on threats, and McGee has no intention of facing Gibb's thousand yard stare.

First, he wrote in his alert program. It scanned the internet looking for things such as child pornography chat rooms, illegal hacking, and other suspicious activity. For about 10 minutes, it ran without a hitch and then it alerted him to a presence that had his criteria. The address was moving in and out of chat rooms known for snuff videos. These were videos of the violent rapes and deaths of women. He had followed this some while in Cybercrimes, and it was one of the activities that most shook his sense of decency. The name on the address was simply Sebastian and he talked about an event that was going to be happening within hours. There was no talk of how or where the event would be posted. Still, it left McGee intrigued and he initiated all of his tracking programs on Sebastian. Within an hour, he came to the realization that he wasn't the only one tracking Sebastian and he suspected that either the FBI or Cybercrimes was on his tail. He knew they would not appreciate his interference. He was getting to log off when an IM popped up reading 'Hello' from Sebastian. McGee's breath caught. The instincts he so rarely cultivated kicked in,

"I'm Tim."

"You're following me."

"Yes." Cybercrimes taught him to let the perp initiate most of the narrative. The more they talked, the easier forensics would be able to both learn about them and then track them.

"Fed?"

Tim hesitated. It would be best to hide his identity, maybe present as a fellow sadist, but he didn't think he could pull it off. Gibbs once told him that his guilelessness was too deeply ingrained to be masked. It's why he rarely was given undercover work. "Yes, I work for the government."

"You're tracking me better than Cybercrimes at the moment."

Flattery from any source tended to make McGee blush. "I didn't know that."

"Do you want to see something extraordinary tonight?"

Tim licked his lips. "I'm not sure what that means."

"Do you want to save a young woman's life? She is very frightened. She has a 3 year-old daughter. She's begging me for mercy. Wants to see her baby again. It's both exciting and fascinating."

Tim stopped breathing for a moment. "You've kidnapped her."

"I can't share my prize with anyone. The FBI has my favorite spots under surveillance. They're a little smarter with every prize I capture. What's the good in something extraordinary if you can't share it?"

"I'm a federal agent, Sebastian. You're alerting me to felonies. It is my duty to try to stop you." Tim bit his lip. Tony would be handling this so beautifully if he were here. He would be more than dry; he would be clever and manipulative, eventually backing Sebastian into a corner. Tim could be the programmer and Tony could do the talking. It would have worked beautifully. He eyed the phone next to him, but couldn't afford to lose Sebastian.

"Of course, it's your duty. I expect nothing less, but I will make a deal with you. If you can keep up with me for the next two hours, I will allow you to see everything. Intriguing, no?"

"I don't want to play this game with you."

"But you feel compelled. You were smart enough to get this far. There has to be enough ego in you to want to see if you can go all the way, Agent Tim."

"I will alert all law enforcement if you engage in any assaultive behavior."

"Catch me if you can, Tim."

The IM disappeared and Tim blinked. His phone was on his desk, but he wasn't quite sure what to do. He had enough contacts in Cybercrimes. There had to be someone picking up the phone on a Friday night. His program buzzed and he realized he was losing Sebastian. He started typing furiously, hoping for a moment to pick up the phone and call for backup.

….

The program worked beautifully. The extra measures and attention that he and Abby had put into it kept him only 5-10 minutes behind Sebastian. He had to be totally to stay in this game. He had no time to grab his phone. He hoped someone, a maintenance person even, would walk by so he could call for help, but brief glance at the clock told him it was past 9 p.m. The lights in the office had dimmed. From experience, he knew that maintenance didn't show up until 11 p.m.

Sebastian pulled tricks, feinted to the left, launched countermeasures, but Tim's programming had enough complexity to it to keep up with him nonetheless. His phone rang at 10 p.m. He looked over and could make out the letters T and O. He picked it up and held it to his face with his shoulder while he returned to his frantic tracking. He breathed hard into the phone.

"Shit. Do you have a girl over there?"

Tim furrowed his brow. He had no time to disseminate that comment. "Tony, listen. Don't talk. I'm at the office. I'm tracking a killer online. I only know his name is Sebastian."

There was silence and then Tony said slowly, "Someone is pulling your leg, McGee."

"Maybe," he breathed into the phone. The office had grown hotter by the hour. "What if it's real?"

"Tell me what he said."

"Damn it, Tony. I'm tracking him. I can't do both things at the same time."

"Is he confessing?"

"For Christ's sakes Tony, he's about to show me his crime!"

"Okay, Tim. You hang in there. I'll call Gibbs and we'll be there in 30 minutes."

Tim lifted his chin and let the phone clatter to the ground. It was getting harder. He was having enough trouble to know that Sebastian was clearly the superior programmer. And then Sebastain disappeared. Sweat on his brow, his suit coat gone and his dress shirt unbuttoned, Tim cursed loudly. He tried to re-engage for about 15 minutes, but Sebastian was gone. He sighed deeply and slumped in his chair. In ten minutes, Tony and Gibbs and whomever else they wrangled were going to show up and he had nothing. Another ruined Friday night and he was to blame because he was the ultimate sucker. Tony would never let him forget this.

Suddenly Skype popped up and there was a request from Sebastian. Skype wasn't secure or supported by the Navy browser, and he would take a pounding from the tech team for bypassing firewalls, but he didn't care. His fingers danced over the keyboard until he had dismantled the protection software. Then he answered.

It opened on a very small, dimly lit room with concrete walls. He could hear muffled sounds in the background. Then Sebastian opened his call and Tim's background was just as visible. A man with a black pointed hood sat down in front of the camera. "You did 2 hours and 43 minutes, Timmy. I'm impressed. And look at you! You look like you're still an undergrad. This is really going to be fun."

"What are you going to do?" McGee was breathless.

"Here are the rules. As long as you don't break them, you get to watch. Number one, I see your face and only your face on the screen. Undoubtedly, you've tried to reach out for help. I understand that others may be there, but if I see their faces at any point, the feed goes dead. Number two, you are the only that can speak. I expect voices in the background, but if anyone attempts to speak for you, the feed goes dead. I've already engaged voice recognition. Understood?"

Tim nodded at the screen and the hood laughed. "I feel like I'm working with Doogie Howser. This is wonderfully unprecedented. Our special guest today is Aurelia. She's 19. I already told you that she has a 3 year old. That would certainly cast aspirations on her character, don't you think?"

"No." Tim stayed impassive.

"You're something, Timmy."

"My name is special agent McGee."

"Oh, I offended you, and because of that, you've given me personal information that I won't need to seek on my own. Thank you."

Tim's face reddened. His naïveté was again screwing things up.

The hood peered into the camera. "I won't torture her anymore. We had all of that fun yesterday. Today, she's frightened, despairing even. She's done begging. She's coming to understand that she will never see her baby girl again. Her only hope for survival is going to be you."

Panic rose in Tim's gut. He couldn't speak without revealing his fear.

"I'm going to leave, but I will be monitoring you the whole time. The room is sealed. If you can figure out how to help Aurelia before her oxygen depletes, then she lives. If not, then you failed and you can watch her die." The hood turned and pointed the laptop at a woman slumped in a chair. Her face was a mass of bruises, her left eye swollen shut and purple. It was horrifying and Tim's sensitive stomach would've rebelled if he wasn't already in shock. The hood leaned over and removed the gag in her mouth and cut the rope restraining her arms.

In that moment, Tony and Gibbs came trotting through the door. Tim looked up in alarm and the hood stopped. "Remember the rules."

"I have to tell them. Please!"

Not waiting for a response, McGee jumped to his feet and put up his hand. "Stay where you are! I have rules! If anyone else talks on this monitor, we lose the feed. If he sees anyone else on the monitor, we lose the feed. We can't risk losing the feed!"

Gibbs and Tony looked at one another, but stayed where they were. Tim looked down at the monitor. It went dark for thirty seconds and then the hooded man was gone from the room. The camera only held the visage of the young woman. Tim leaned over and hit a button. The image popped up on the large screen over Gibbs' desk. Tony and Gibbs stared at the badly beaten woman.

Tim leaned toward the monitor. "Hey, can you hear me? Aurelia, can you hear me talking?"

The woman groaned, the gag from her mouth sliding down her shirt.

"Please Aurelia, talk to me. My name is Tim."

She raised her swollen face to the camera. "What are you going to do to me?"

"I want to help. I want to help get you out of there."

Gibbs murmured furiously at Tony and pushed him toward his desk. Tony grabbed his phone and started punching numbers.

"You can help me?"

Tim swallowed and looked to Gibbs. Gibbs motioned at him to keep talking. Tim turned back to her. "Yes I can, but I need you to help me by answering questions."

She waited.

"Aurelia, tell me what happened. Tell me everything, every detail of what happened. We want to find you."

….

Two hours later, the bullpen was crowded with people. Ziva was at her desk trying to coordinate with the Metro police. Gibbs and DiNozzo were huddled around the large screen with Ducky. There were two white boards erected. One was for DiNozzo who was writing down every possible clue from McGee's conversation with Aurelia. The other one was for Gibbs and it solely held prompts for McGee to use in questioning her.

McGee was an island of sorts, sitting alone at his desk peering desperately into the monitor at Aurelia. They had pinpointed that she was somewhere in the D.C., and Metro cops as well as NCIS and FBI agents were scouring neighborhoods based on whatever directions she gave.

Aurelia didn't remember much. She'd been taken outside a club three days earlier and drugged. Her story tended to be infused with possible hallucinations from the drugs. A Cybercrimes unit was on site as well, doing their best to breakdown Sebastian's addresses so as to clue in on the Skype location.

No one was having much success.

Aurelia was badly beaten and bruised. She held her arms tightly around her middle, and Ducky had surmised that she had broken ribs. She was 19 years old, and it showed in her youthful frame, but her bruised eyes held the weariness and fear of someone much older. She kept trying to talk to Tim about her daughter, but he kept steering her back to her story. Finally she walked up to the camera and yelled, "Enough!"

Tim's head snapped back.

"Talk to me like a person, Tim. I don't have much time."

"I, uh…I'm sorry, Aurelia. We're working very hard."

"It's the same questions over and over. I don't have new ways to answer them. Do you see me, Tim? Do you see what is happening to me?"

"I do." He said simply.

"What if these are my last minutes?"

Tim shook his head. "They aren't. I promise you."

"You care, don't you?"

Tim let out a breath. "Very much, Aurelia. Very much."

"Listen to me about my daughter then."

Tim hesitated, sneaking a peek at Gibbs. Gibbs shrugged. It was not the response McGee was hoping to see. He looked back at Aurelia. "Tell me about Gabriella."

"If I die, she has no family. My sister is in jail. My mother died of a drug overdose when I was 15. I never knew my father. My cousins are drug dealers. My grandparents are dead. My uncle abused me. There is no one. She'll be raised by the system just like I was. Look how I turned out."

Tim furrowed his brow. "I don't understand. Are you asking me something?"

"I've only known you for a few hours, but I need someone good to watch after her. You're a good man."

"We can't talk about this, Aurelia. I don't want you to give up hope. We are very close."

"Promise me that if you don't find me in time, you'll make sure she is well taken care of. Promise me, please."

Tim swallowed and looked at Gibbs for answers. The tough marine closed his eyes. It wasn't an answer and McGee wanted to scream. He was on his own here and it sucked. He turned back to Aurelia. "I don't know exactly what you're asking. I am a single man who works 60+ hours a week. I don't know anything about babies. I think it's best that we stick to the matter at hand."

She sighed. "You take your promises very seriously, Tim. Another man would have just said what I wanted to hear. I'm not asking you to adopt her. I just want someone to watch over her, someone decent like you. Don't let her get lost in the system. Please!"

He closed his eyes for a moment and then he sighed. "We're going to find you, but at the same time, I'm going to give you some peace of mind. I promise to watch after her if it comes to that."

"It's getting hot in here. I'm breathing heavier."

McGee knew that. He'd been watching her deepen her breathing for the last ten minutes. The room was small and all of her talking had depleted too much oxygen. "Aurelia, you need to stop talking for awhile. You can better conserve oxygen that way."

She shook her head. "I can't stand the silence. No silence!"

Tim had been sitting at his desk for most of the last 15 hours. He was hungry and thirsty. Every muscle in his body had been tensed for hours, and he wasn't certain he could rise to his feet if needed. He'd refused water because he wasn't sure if it would set off Sebastian, but worse than anything, he had fully lost himself in this. The fear he felt for her radiated through his gut and out his fingertips. He felt as trapped as she did. McGee couldn't detach. This weakness had always haunted him on cases. He would never possess the steely-eyed detachment of Gibbs, David, or DiNozzo. It was one of the many things that set him apart on this team. He could imagine Gibbs cursing in his head right now that it was McGee in front of the monitor instead of one of them.

He took a deep breath. "Aurelia, there won't be silence. I want to you to sit down and rest your head on the table. Just rest on your arms, and I'm going to talk to you. I'm going to tell you a little bit about me. You think I'm a badass federal agent, but the truth is that I'm just a geek. My friend, Tony, calls me McGeek. I play on computers and write code and watch science fiction and go to conventions. And as for girlfriends, forget about it. Seriously. I am one of those guys a pretty girl like you would have looked right through like I wasn't there when you were in high school. So, just rest and listen, and I am going to tell you about the life of a nerd like me."

He caught Tony's eye for a moment. Tony would be a master at this. DiNozzo smiled at him and gave him a thumbs up.

"Okay, let me start by telling you about how I won the school science fair when I was ten. Of course, I was too young to enter so I had some 16 year old name of Dickie Barber stand in for me…."

While McGee continued his monologue, Gibbs pulled Ducky and DiNozzo aside. Ziva followed. "How long does she have, Ducky?"

The older man shrugged. "It's hard to say. Timothy is smart to have her cease her exertions. It will undoubtedly conserve air for her. She's been badly traumatized and we aren't fooling her. Growing up as she did has taught her to expect the worst."

Gibbs turned to DiNozzo and David. "We must have 150 people on this right now. How are we not finding her?"

"It's still a ten mile radius. There are numerous abandoned buildings, warehouses, and crack dens in this zone. It could take the rest of the day," Ziva replied.

"Well, we don't have that much time, David!" Gibbs' cheeks colored. It was all he could do to keep himself in check.

"She knows, Boss," Tony added quietly. "We're all on edge."

Gibbs gestured at Tim. "It's not just this girl. Look at McGee. How long will it take to undo that trauma?"

Ducky put a hand on his arm. "I know, Jethro. I am thinking the same thing. Timothy carries his emotions very deeply. He's utterly sincere in all that he attempts, but he's been strong. I'm proud of him."

DiNozzo shook his head. "Boss is right, Ducky. I don't know how much longer he can handle himself. If there was only some way we could relieve him."

"Well, there is not," Ziva replied, her arms folded. "Tim may be the youngest among us but he is made of very stern stuff, indeed. That was no kid that came to rescue me in Somalia."

"True enough." Tony kept his eye on McGee. The young agent was keeping up a steady chatter of everything he could think to say. Aurelia rested on the table. She almost looked peaceful.

There was noise, and FBI agent Tobias Fornell came out of the elevator, two other agents following close behind.

"I hope to God they know something," Gibbs muttered under his breath.

Fornell caught his eye. "Jethro, I have agent Stockton and agent Cho with me. Stockton runs the Sebastian task force."

"There's a task force on this guy. How many people has he killed?"

Stockton maneuvered around Fornell and pointed a finger at Gibbs. "What the hell is going on here? Sebastian is mine. He's under my jurisdiction. How did he end up in a Navy cop shop?"

Gibbs was in no mood. He slapped away Stockton's hand. "Fornell, you better calm this ape down 'cause we need answers about Sebastian and we need them fast."

Fornell had Stockton by the arm. "For whatever reason, Sebastian has engaged an NCIS agent. No time for turf wars. Answer his question. Now!"

Stockton closed his eyes for a moment and looked at Gibbs again. "We've been tracking this guy for almost 18 months. He's got five kills under his belt. He's a cyber nut. He grabs females and then puts on a show online. Now answer a question for me. Where's your agent and how far has this thing gotten?"

Gibbs pointed at McGee.

Stockton looked around and cursed. "Damn! Is he old enough to vote?"

"He's been a field agent for 7 years, Stockton. He's no probie." Tony said. Behind him, Ziva stifled a grin.

"What stage? How far into this is he?"

Gibbs looked at Ducky before answering. "He engaged Sebastian at 01800. Sebastian led him to a Skype site at around 2230. Sebastian left him with the victim at 2300. He's been with her the last four hours."

Stockton turned to Cho. "He's in stage 3."

Cho shook his head. "Your man tracked him for over 4 hours. That's amazing."

"What's stage 3?" Gibbs asked.

"This is not the right man for Sebastian," Stockton murmured to Cho while observing McGee. "He's a kid."

"Hey! I'm talking here! What's with the stages?" Gibbs' eyes were as hard as stones.

Stockton turned back to him. "It's his M.O. His signature."

"What's stage 4?"

"She dies." Stockton said and then walked over to the bullpen to watch McGee.

Cho shook his head before following his boss. "This is going to get much worse."

Gibbs grabbed Fornell's arm. "They better learn how to communicate with me right now or I'm going to shoot them and bury them under the parking garage. That is my agent over there, and I could not be taking this situation more personally."

Tobias nodded. "I know."

…..

At 0530, Tim's voice was gone. He spoke to Aurelia in a hoarse whisper. She had slept for two hours, and then she woke up suddenly and started frantically gulping. She did this for about ten minutes before her head fell to the table again. McGee tried to talk to her, but it was if she was alone in that room again. Instead, he had to watch, horrified. Gibbs' white board told him to find out if she was still conscious. He bit his lip, "Aurelia, wake up. Aurelia, please talk to me."

She didn't move.

Tim sat up, agitated. "Aurelia! Aurelia, look at me! Aurelia!"

There was no movement. Tim looked at Gibbs, and his boss shook his head. "Ducky?"

Ducky sighed. "I've been watching her closely. Her skin has been changing over the last few minutes. If you look carefully, her skin has started to gray. She's dead, Jethro."

McGee heard this and looked down at his keyboard. His chest started to heave. Stockton stepped forward. "Tell him to calm himself. Tell him to calm himself now! Stage 5 is coming, and we still need him."

"I don't know, Stockton. He's not ready for it." Cho said from the laptop he had perched on DiNozzo's desk.

Gibbs glared at Stockton while speaking to McGee. "Tim, hold it together. The mission isn't over. We need you to hold it together."

McGee choked a couple of times and rubbed at his face vigorously.

"Stockton, carefully explain stage 5 to us now." Gibbs looked like he was ready to climb over his desk and strangle the FBI agent.

McGee's computer started beeping.

Cho looked at Stockton who said, "I guess you'll have to find out for yourself. Sebastian is calling for you, Agent McGee."

Rubbing his eyes, Tim looked at the monitor again. An IM came up, "Timmy, are you crying?"

McGee hit the keyboard. "Yes."

Cho turned back to his laptop and hit keys furiously.

"Good man. You were so sweet for her. You've been such an unexpected surprise. I thought the end was peaceful which, admittedly, was disappointing for me."

McGee swallowed and typed. "This is how you get off, you sick beast. We're going to get you."

"Oh yes, sounds about right, but I want to do a little debrief with you."

McGee knew that keeping him online was important. Otherwise, he would have picked up his monitor and thrown it as far as it would go. Slowly, he typed, "What do you need to know?"

"Let's discuss how you failed."

"Okay. Tell me."

"It's a concrete room so I'm sure you concentrated on basements."

McGee looked at Gibbs and he nodded. Tim typed, "We did."

"I know. Your people searched the building that held Aurelia 3 ½ hours ago."

McGee's breath caught. "How is that possible?"

"You forgot to probe more about the noises she heard when she woke up."

Sweat dropped off his lip. "She couldn't describe or identify those noises."

"You didn't ask about elevators."

McGee rubbed at his face. "What about elevators?"

"A very small room, Timmy. Exactly the size of an elevator. If only the police had thought to search the elevators in buildings."

His fingers were typing automatically. "Elevators aren't encased in concrete."

"Slabs of 2 inch concrete are easy to procure. You never allowed yourself to see the elevator. If you were smarter, more creative you would have seen an elevator through the concrete. She's on the fifth floor of an abandoned building on Weston and 37th."

Tim's mouth dropped.

"She would be in the hospital right now, and someone would be bringing her the precious Gabriella. You would be there just to make sure she was okay and she would personally thank you. It should have happened that way. How does that make you feel, Timmy?"

McGee couldn't look at the screen anymore. He started to breath hard.

"Tim!" DiNozzo said when McGee heaved. He looked up and DiNozzo threw him a wastebasket. McGee started vomiting into the pail.

"Did I lose you already, Timmy?"

No one answered Sebastian.

"I'm not done with you yet. Hope you're better prepared for battle the next time."

The IM stayed on for another minute, but DiNozzo didn't care. He grabbed the basket away from McGee, and then pulled him up, wrapped his arm around his shoulder, and walked him off to the privacy of a bathroom.

Gibbs threw a stapler at Stockton, hitting him in the chest. "You son of a bitch! You knew that was coming! You knew what stage 5 was!" He rounded the desk and headed for the agent. Fornell threw himself in front of Gibbs while Ziva roughly pushed Stockton out of the bullpen.

She pointed at the elevators. "Get out now! If he catches you, Gibbs will tear you limb from limb, and I will let him! I will stand there and watch with a smile on my face."

….

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks for finding this story. It's fun to write Tim McGee. His character inspires such angst. I really appreciate your reviews and love hearing from you. Sheila

Uncommon Minds

Chapter 2

Gibbs sat across a conference table in Vance's office at agents Stockton and Cho. Fornell sat next to him. Vance leaned against his desk, arms folded. "We should get started."

"Not until Ducky gets here," Gibbs growled. "I need to know how my agent is before we decide on anything."

Vance sighed. "Stockton has formally filed a complaint against you. Additionally, he has requested that McGee get temporarily assigned to the FBI so he can serve on the Sebastian task force."

"Over my dead body." Gibbs' eyes never left Stockton.

The door opened and Ducky came in, DiNozzo following close behind. Gibbs looked at them. "How's McGee?"

"I sedated him. He was unable to stop retching. I can't blame him. It was horrific. I'm feeling quite nauseous myself. Gave him an IV. He's terribly dehydrated. Give him a few hours and he'll be calm enough."

Vance looked at DiNozzo. "Do you have anything to report?"

"Nope." Tony stood rooted behind Gibbs.

"I can assure you that Gibbs can stand up for McGee without your help."

"Sorry, Sir, he's my agent too." Tony stared straight ahead.

Stockton waved a hand. "This whole team is a bunch of cowboys. One of them interrupts an investigation. Gibbs wants a street fight, and DiNozzo here ignores direct orders."

Vance glared at him. "It's called loyalty, Stockton. We get work done when we know that someone has our back. Now, let's go back to your request to temporarily re-assign McGee to the FBI—"

"Not happening," Tony barked.

Gibbs frowned. "Shut up, DiNozzo. I got this."

Stockton leaned over. "He can help us track Sebastian. Besides, Sebastian is not done with him."

"What does that mean?" Gibbs demanded.

"Sebastian engages his tracker. He profiles him. Sebastian will want to keep in touch with McGee. Mess with him. It's our best chance of catching him."

"McGee will not be your decoy. I won't have it."

Agent Cho shifted uncomfortably in his chair and then he leaned over to Stockton and whispered. Stockton waved him away. "How many more young women does he have to torture and kill before someone has the balls to take him out!"

"Well, you can't have McGee." Gibbs said quietly.

Stockton looked at Vance. "We need him."

Vance shook his head. "You can't have him. Somehow, you really pissed off the best agent I have. His instincts are solid. If he won't have it, it's not happening."

Fornell sighed. "I could keep an eye on McGee for you, Jethro."

Gibbs looked at him. "Thanks but no."

"You don't know what's coming next. We do. It puts you at a disadvantage."

Gibbs furrowed his brow at Stockton. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"We know how Sebastian works. You don't. We can keep McGee safe. You can't. It's simple math."

Agent Cho looked away when his boss talked.

Ducky narrowed his eyes. "You, my boy, are horribly conflicted. What do you say?"

Cho shook his head. "I don't have anything to add."

"But you do. Your body says that you do."

"I just think—"

"That's enough, Cho. Let's go." Stockton got up and grabbed his coat.

Fornell stood up. "Not so fast. I too am curious about what agent Cho is thinking. Tell us what's on your mind, agent."

Cho reddened under the scrutiny but said nothing.

Stockton rolled his eyes. "Oh God Danny, spit it out already. You've been dying a slow death ever since we got this call. Tell 'em your theory."

The room went quiet. Agent Cho was young, almost as young as McGee. He wore a long ponytail braided down his back. It was a surprising exception to FBI protocol. He looked up. "Agent Stockton told you there was five deaths attributed to Sebastian. I say there were 6 before tonight. Aurelia Gonzalez is number 7 and I believe agent McGee could be number 8."

"Explain yourself, Cho." Gibbs said.

Cho sighed. "We've been tracking Sebastian on and off for 18 months. Most of the tracking was done by agent Frank Watts. He was a former marine. Joined the FBI and served 23 years before Sebastian killed him six weeks ago."

Gibbs cocked his head and said in a low voice. "What happened?"

"Watts was the best. He was a great programmer, but more importantly, he had the best instincts, and he was the most grounded man I knew. He sparred with Sebastian many times online. After we shut down Sebastian's ability to show his kills to a crowd, Watts was the first one he engaged one on one like with your agent McGee. Watts sat through a killing like McGee. He saw everything and Sebastian was there to tell him how he had failed, but he hung in there. Sebastian took another victim eight weeks ago. He engaged Watts again. This time it was harder. Watts knew what was coming, and he had to sit through it, but you could tell it broke him. He didn't seem to feel anything after that. Two weeks later, he shot himself in the head."

A suicide!" Stockton threw up his arms. "Not a murder!"

Cho ignored him. "Watts was my mentor. He was depressed; there was no doubt, but we were helping him. On the weekend he killed himself, there were three unidentified calls to his phone, one of them almost two hours long. He killed himself 15 minutes later. We don't know what was said, but I know it was Sebastian. I know that he was goading Watts. He was pushing him. Watts couldn't follow Sebastian into another murder. He was done. We all knew that except you, Boss. You were so sure that Watts still had it together. You wouldn't approve his transfer. And then Sebastian finished him off by sharing previews of coming attractions."

Fornell was on his feet. "Is this true?"

"There was no evidence." Stockton grumbled.

"Exactly," Cho said. "We couldn't trace the phone number, Stockton. We have the best equipment on the planet and we couldn't trace the damn phone number."

Gibbs narrowed his eyes. "And you didn't follow up on this, Stockton."

"We did what we could."

Cho turned his attention to Gibbs. "Watts was as strong a man as you are, but Sebastian puts you in a position where you have to identify with the victim. You feel everything she does. Watts couldn't do it a 3rd time. What about McGee? What will it be like when he learns he has to do this all over? How many times will he last especially with Sebastian explaining to him how he failed the victim every time?"

…

DiNozzo sat at his computer and stared up at Vance's office. He, Ducky, and Cho had been kicked out almost two hours ago, leaving Gibbs, Fornell, Stockton, and Vance to figure this out. Tony didn't like it. Tim was going to end up on the wrong end of some decision and it didn't sit well with him.

"Agent DiNozzo."

Tony looked around and saw Cho standing there. "Before my career is officially incinerated, I wondered if maybe I could download everything from McGee's computer.

Tony frowned. "No. Don't touch anything until we get the word."

"Are you sure? I could get it off McGee's computer."

"I don't understand."

"My mentor, Watts, kept it on his and he watched it over and over, trying to pinpoint the moment where he first made a mistake. It was obsessive. McGee is a perfectionist?"

Tony nodded.

"Letting him have unlimited access to these images…might be damaging to him."

Ziva looked up. "Cho's right. McGee doesn't let go easily."

Tony didn't have time to consider the question as a red-eyed pigtailed Abby had appeared before him. She hit him in the arm, "Nobody called me! You were all here last night and nobody called!"

Tony caught her arm and wrapped his arms around her. "We didn't need you last night, Abs. Nothing personal."

She pushed at his chest. "I had to get a call from Jimmy Palmer. He didn't know much, but he said Timmy had a really rough time last night. There's a serial killer and Tim had to sit with the victim and she died. This horrible thing was happening and I could have been here helping."

Tony grunted as she struggled in his arms. "Calm down, Abs. You want to talk about this? Let's talk, but you need to calm down."

She stopped fighting with him finally and rested her head against his chest. "I could have helped, Tony."

"You probably could have." He rested his chin on the top of her head.

"Then why didn't you call me?"

Tony sighed. "It was scary, Abs. Really scary and really sad. And I guess Gibbs must've thought that someone on this team should be able to sleep nights."

Ziva came over and uncharacteristically stroked her back. "You didn't need to see it. It was bad. It was hard enough that we had to be here, and Tim…well, he really went through something…traumatic."

"And I want to see him and give him a big hug, but Ducky won't let me into Autopsy."

"He needs to rest right now, Abs."

"I want to help," she mumbled into his shirt.

"We all do." Tony took her by the shoulders and looked into her eyes. "We're all tired. It was a hard night, but you can't make this about how we didn't call you. If you want to help, then let's start there. Boss is going to come down soon and you can't be mad at him now. Not even a little bit. Do you understand?"

Abby nodded, her eyes blurry.

"Good girl. We're going to have to gentle with McGee. He worked so hard to save her and he couldn't. The killer mocked him, told him he failed the girl, and you know how sensitive our boy is. He was pretty destroyed by the end."

The phone rang and Ziva picked up. She frowned a bit and then hung up. She gave Tony a worried look. "I…need to run down to reception."

"What is it?"

She shook her head and attempted perky. "Nothing really. I'll be right back."

Tony watched her walk quickly to the elevators. Then he remembered the woman in his arms. "You good, Abs?"

She nodded. Her attention was also focused on Ziva. Behind them, there were voices on the stairs, and Gibbs and Fornell were headed in their direction. Gibbs nodded at DiNozzo. "I need everyone in the conference room now. It's going to be a joint task force now. Fornell and I are running it. Cho, you're assigned to us now."

Cho stood up. "Seriously? What about Stockton?"

"He's taking a break from this." Gibbs' face showed that this would be his last word on the subject.

"Abs, head for the conference room." Tony said pushing her off gently. She grabbed Cho's arm and steered him down the hall. DiNozzo stayed where he was. Gibbs saw his hesitation. He put a hand on Fornell. "What's going on?"

"I don't know. Ziva had to run down to reception. She had a look on her face."

As if on cue, Ziva hopped out of the elevator and strode toward them.

"What was that all about?" Tony noted the plastic evidence bag in her hand.

"There was a bouquet of flowers at the front desk for Tim. This card was attached." She handed it to Gibbs who peered at it through the plastic. In flowery handwriting, it said, "Timmy, thanks for last night. I will be thinking of you often. And hope to be with you again soon. S."

Gibbs cursed at the ceiling. Tony took it from him and read it with Fornell. "Damn it, Boss. He's not wasting any time."

"The file says nothing about this type of overture."

Fornell shook his head. "I know."

Ziva stepped in. "I don't think we should tell McGee about this."

Tony nodded. "I agree, Gibbs. McGee can't handle this right now."

Anger rose in Gibbs' face. "Agreed. For right now, there will be no mention of this. We need to process this immediately."

Fornell shook his head. "We're not going to find anything on it. It'll be the first in a series of distractions meant to keep us busy."

"Then we both process the evidence and evaluate its contribution to a greater whole."

Fornell smiled. "You are a force to be reckoned with, Jethro."

…..

It wasn't until the end of their first meeting as a task force that Ducky showed. Gibbs threw an annoyed look in his direction. Even more surprising was that a groggy Tim was following in his wake. The young man was still in his untucked dress shirt from the day before.

Gibbs winced. "Are you ready to be up, McGee?"

Tim rubbed at his eyes. "Can't sleep. And as far as I know, I'm a part of this task force too."

Gibbs nodded.

"I understand he sent me flowers." Tim was calm, dispassionate.

Tony and Ziva exchanged sharp looks. Gibbs frowned. "He did but how did you find this out?"

Tim pulled out his cell phone and slid it down the table to him. Gibbs opened it. McGee's wallpaper was a picture of Aurelia in her last moments. He shook his head and passed it onto Abby who took one look and gasped loudly.

"The phone kept going off while Timothy was sleeping. I tried to remove it so he could rest better but he woke. Apparently, Sebastian has hacked into his phone. He's everywhere in it."

"There is a text asking me if I received the flowers. He changed the ring tone. It's Aurelia screaming. He downloaded my list of contacts. Everyone I know is in danger. Ducky says that the Virginia state troopers are on their way to pick up Sarah right now. Thank you for that."

Gibbs nodded at Tony. "Good work, DiNozzo."

Tim continued. "I wrote back, told him I would do whatever he wanted, but I haven't heard anything yet. I'll do anything he says."

Tony was on his feet. "Whoa, Tim! Do not engage with him without us!"

Tim looked up at him, blinking. "Do you think I would survive if he did something to Sarah? What about my other friends? My parents? What am I supposed to do?"

"We're working on this as a team, McGee. You're part of us. We have a stake in this too."

McGee looked at Gibbs. "I can't let him hurt Sarah or Abby or Tony or you or anybody in this room."

Gibbs leaned across the table. "Tim, he's got you thinking like a victim. Are you a victim?"

"No, sir, I am an NCIS special agent on the best investigative force on the Eastern Seaboard."

Tony smiled and sat down again.

"Good. He is manipulating you now and we can't allow that. If we let him dictate all the rules, we can't win. You know that, McGee."

"Yes sir."

"If we give up, then everyone loses. Sebastian gets what he wants, people die, and he moves on. Are you okay with that?"

"No sir."

"Do you trust me?"

"Yes sir."

"Then you have to let me do the thinking on this. Fornell and I are running this. You are my agent. This is not a game between you and Sebastian. Sebastian is baiting you but you are a member of my team, not the decision maker. Understood?"

"Yes sir."

"And you can't fold on us. We need you, Tim. You are the key to stopping Sebastian. Do you want to stop Sebastian?"

"Yes sir, very much." McGee blinked away moisture.

"Last night, he dragged you around like a limp doll. He hurt you. Emotionally, you're bruised and battered. We all are. When that happens, we lose perspective. We lose our ability to think rationally."

McGee nodded.

Gibbs sighed. "You have to listen to me, Tim, not Sebastian."

"Yes sir."

A horrifying scream erupted. Everyone jumped. Abby grabbed Tim's phone. "He's calling, Gibbs."

"Turn off that damn ring tone!" Fornell barked.

Tim still had his eyes locked on Gibbs, his hands trembling. "Should I answer it?"

Gibbs shook his head slowly. "We don't play his game. We decide when we talk to him."

McGee visibly deflated.

"Everything I tell you to do, you need to do. You can't keep anything from me. Nothing."

Tim dropped his face into his hand and nodded.

Ring tone was turned off, but the phone started buzzing again. Sebastian was being persistent. Fornell turned to Cho. "Is this how it went with Watts?"

Cho shook his head. "No, it was weeks before Sebastian started engaging with him."

"Watts was stoic with Sebastian?" Ducky asked.

"He never flinched when he was online."

"No offense Timothy, but you are much more of an open book. I'm sure that was quite satisfying for Sebastian. He probably savored your reactions as much as he savored Aurelia's. He sent you flowers. He can't stop calling. It sounds as if he's smitten."

"Gross, Ducky." Abby picked up Tim's phone so that the buzzing didn't reverberate through the table.

Fornell nodded. "McGee definitely scratched an itch for Sebastian."

"It's his sincerity," Tony said. "McGee is so damned genuine and sincere. Every emotion he has is true. I'm sure it was unexpected for Sebastian."

Ducky nodded. "Sebastian must have found it refreshing, sweet even."

McGee raised his head, his voice shaky. "Let's just remember that gullible, sweet stupid McGee is still in the room."

Ziva leaned over putting her hand on his arm. "These are not weaknesses, McGee. It makes you who you are. You're not cynical. Your curiosity and belief in the goodness of others is intact. Without the natural suspicions of an investigator, you often see things we do not."

Tim shook his head. "I'm going to be sick again."

Abby put the phone in Gibbs' hand and jumped up. She caught Tim as he struggled to get up. "I got ya'. Come on."

He flinched initially, then relaxed into her touch. "We'll be down in the lab," Abby said over her shoulder as they left the room.

Tony shook his head once the door closed. "What are we doing to do with him?"

"And how would you handle it if you were in this situation?" Gibbs gave him a hard look.

Tony put his hands up. "Hey come on, Boss, this is not a criticism. I'm just worried for him. This whole thing is wild."

Gibbs nodded. "We're all on edge."

"What's next, Boss. How do we get a handle on this?"

"I say we send him home wired. We can monitor him fully. If there's a vacant space in his building, we take it."

"I don't know, Tobias. I don't want him alone. It doesn't take much to pick up your own gun and shoot yourself if you feel you have no other choice. I should take him home."

"It makes it harder to track Sebastian if he thinks McGee is being watched."

"He's not stupid. He has to know we wouldn't leave him alone."

"He needs to be in his apartment. We can't cut off access for Sebastian. Please, we need him there so he can engage the bastard."

Gibbs sighed. "I don't know."

"Ziva and I will take turns staying with him."

Gibbs sighed and looked at Tony. "All of you will wear ear wigs. I want to be in contact with everyone."

Fornell scraped his chair back. "Come on, Cho. We gotta' get his apartment completely wired. His phone, his computers, and all of the rooms. Check to see if there's any space in the building. If there is, rent it 'cause we're moving in. Jethro, are you going to have Tim call him back?"

Gibbs looked down at McGee's phone. "Yeah."

"Where do we put Sarah?"

Gibbs winced. "We can't put her too close to Tim. It'll remind him of too much about what is at stake."

Ziva looked up. "She can stay at my apartment."

"Go get her. And for now, she can't talk to Tim."

Ziva was out the door without another word.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Tony shook his head.

"DiNozzo, you can't show that fear. He needs you to be steady, sure…or we'll lose him. You're going to be closest to him."

Tony took a deep breath. "I know."

"Good. Go help Fornell. I'll bring McGee home in about an hour." Gibbs was on his feet and moving.

…..

McGee sat in Abby's lab with his head between his knees. She tried to engage him, but he refused to respond. There was something about sympathetic Abby that annoyed him. She kneeled in front of him. "I just want to help, Timmy."

"For God's sakes, Abby, you weren't there. And don't call me Timmy. He calls me Timmy. And I'm not a frickin' child. Please!"

She tried to catch his eye. "McGee, you're so important to me. Don't shut me out."

She put a hand on his knee and he jerked away. "I need space, Abby. Please give me space."

Gibbs was watching from the doorway. "Abby."

She looked up. "I'm just trying to help."

"I know, Abs, but McGee is right. He needs his space." Gibb nodded at him. "Come on, McGee."

McGee got up and followed him out. Gibbs led him to an empty room and they sat down. "Not used to you pushing her away."

McGee nodded. "I got to be truthful, Boss."

"Do it."

"We gotta' keep Abby out of this."

"Sure we do, but tell me why."

"She helped me write that code. When we work together, we get more done."

"That's a good thing."

McGee chuckled. "I'm guileless, remember? If you put her with me, Sebastian will know about her. He'll know what I feel for her especially with my emotions as they are. He'll want her."

Gibbs searched his eyes. "You've kept your distance for awhile. You date other women. I haven't seen her wrapped all over you in some time."

McGee shrugged. "I would die for any of you, but if someone shot a bullet at all of us, I would think about Abby's safety first. I would step in front of her. I can't seem to undo that. I don't want to undo that. I've been working to let go for a long time, but it's still what it is."

"Sometimes, I hate rule 12."

"Huh? Please Boss. She treats me like her favorite chew toy. It's nothing more."

"That's a conversation for another time."

"Keep Abby away from me."

He nodded. "Agreed." Then Gibbs took out Tim's phone and pushed it toward him. "I need you to text him. Tell him you got the flowers."

Tim took a deep breath and opened the phone. The picture of Aurelia was still there and he winced. He texted quickly and then put the phone back down.

"He's going to call now. Can you talk to him?"

Tim nodded.

The phone buzzed and Tim jumped.

"Don't hide anything from him."

Tim looked at it for a moment and then picked it up. "Sebastian."

"_You sound so frightened. I'm not sure what I feel about that_."

"What do you want?"

"_I just want to talk to you."_

Tim shivered. "I can't say the same."

"_I usually need to rest for awhile, but I can't stop thinking about you. I feel like we need to hunt again very soon."_

"I can't do it again."

"_I know. You're more fragile than Watts was. Part of me wants to use you up all at once and another part of me wants to nurture you_. _What should I do_?"

The sound on his phone was loud enough for Gibbs to hear everything. McGee looked at him. Gibbs motioned for him to stretch the time.

McGee swallowed. "Do I really have a choice?"

"_I'm giving you one."_

"I want you to wait. Don't hurt anyone. Please."

"_You're so sweet, Timmy. I'll do that for you. Of course, you'll need to keep me entertained."_

"What does that mean?"

"_I need to have access to you. I need to talk to you."_

"You can talk to me whenever you want."

"_Sometimes, we'll need to watch Aurelia again_."

Tim teared up. "I don't think I can do that."

"_But I want you to tell me everything you feel. It's important to me_. _It keeps me satisfied."_

Tim let his tears fall, untouched. "Okay. That's what we'll do then."

"_Bye for now, Timmy_."

His chin shook uncontrollably but he was able to choke out a reply. "Bye."

McGee dropped the phone and put a hand over his mouth while he struggled to control the shaking and the tears. Gibbs reached over and laid his hand on his shoulder. They stayed there until Tim was in control again.

….

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: My chapters are long. I could throw out a teaser scene out and call it a chapter, but I always feel like a chapter should tell a story within a story. It should really push the story forward. Last chapter, it seems like I lost a lot of readership, but I got three reviews, and those that took the time were so gratifying that it fueled me to keep moving. There's a lot of h/c for the whole team here. Even a little Ziva comedy. Thank you very much. Sheila

Uncommon Minds

Chapter 3

Tony lay on the couch staring at the big screen T.V. McGee just bought. Old reruns of Bonanza were on without the sound. He needed to stay alert, aware of any nighttime disturbance that might threaten McGee. He had McGee's phone in front of him. McGee had taken it to bed with him, worried that Sebastian would call in the night. Tony waited until McGee was sleeping and then removed the phone. Sebastian was torturing McGee, and all of his team were participating through their passivity. DiNozzo felt like there had to be limits.

The phone buzzed again and Tony picked it up. Sebastian had changed the wallpaper. This time it was Aurelia's body but Abby's face. His stomach turned. He would have to show this to McGee when he woke. Sebastian was sure to ask about it. McGee would need to be prepared with a response.

Gibbs knew the dynamic between them well enough to know that DiNozzo would protect McGee at all costs. Tony had long ago adopted McGee into a very small and select group of people they thought of as family. Gibbs sat down with Tony before leaving for the night to make sure DiNozzo didn't protect McGee to the point of compromising the case. As much as McGee's safety was at risk, they had a greater responsibility to the public. If McGee could be used to keep Sebastian contained, then that was a risk that came with the territory.

The phone buzzed again. Tony cursed at it before picking it up. On the screen, there was a text that simply said, "_DiNozzo?_"

Tony held his breath. Now the bastard wanted to talk to him. Gibbs would have his head if he picked up. The fact that Sebastian knew the layout well enough to guess that Tony was with Tim was disturbing. Tony turned away from the phone. A few minutes later, another text, "_If you don't pick up, I'll make you wake McGee."_

Tony grabbed his own phone and dialed Gibbs. He picked up on the first ring.

"Now, he wants to talk to me."

"_I know. We're monitoring it down here_."

"I'm going to talk to him."

There was nothing but silence on the other end.

"If I can be a buffer for Tim…Come on, Boss. If we can carry some of the weight…I'm going to do this."

On the other end, he heard nothing other than a deep sigh. He hung up and grabbed McGee's phone. He typed, "Hello Sebastian, you frickin' fruitcake. McGee is sleeping. I'm not waking him up."

Then the phone buzzed. The ringer was still the scream so they had to deal with vibrate. Tony picked up, "Yeah."

"_You are a pistol, Tony_. _Sort of predisposed not to like me_, _aren't you?"_

Tony closed his eyes. If he was too defiant, it might trigger something bad, but he reasoned that Sebastian could easily detect pretense. "What's to like? You kill innocent people. You're torturing my friend. The only vision of you I like has maggots crawling all over your face."

Gibbs let himself into the apartment. Tony put the phone between them when he has sat down.

"_Oh Tony, I wish I was more interested in you. Everyone seems to think you're the interesting one, but you're not. Timmy is the paradox. He is the riddle wrapped within the enigma."_

Tony chewed his lower lip. "No, he's just a decent guy."

"_Do you know how rare that is?_ _Did you know that Steve Jobs recruited him once while he was on your team? Who turns down Steve Jobs?"_

Tony frowned at Gibbs who shrugged in response. "Sounds like McGee."

"_He's brilliant and yet simple. He could be anywhere, doing anything and yet he's the junior agent on a team where he's regularly hazed and patronized. His sense of justice is as idealistic as I've ever experienced. And he'll die for me the minute he believes one of you might die instead. I like him because all of that. I like him for many of the reasons you do. He is a genuinely kind man. And he's see the best in you even when you're hard on him."_

Tony rolled his eyes. "Really? You don't know us. You don't know him. Your analysis is crap."

Gibbs put a hand on him. Tony needed to keep his cool.

"_You're hoping I'll play with you a bit. It's your opportunity to take a bullet for him. I like it. You're a good big brother. How much of a hole will it leave in you when I kill him?"_

"Now, I'm supposed to react. What do you want? You hurt him and the only thing that will matter to me is killing you. How's that for a reaction?"

"_Predictable._ _Tony, you really think it was wise to send Abby home without a security_ _detail?"_

Tony's breath caught and he looked at Gibbs. Gibbs had his phone to his ear hissing at someone urgently.

Tony spoke slowly. "Hurting Abby makes no sense. McGee doesn't really care for her anymore."

"_You want me to hang up? You'll ruin everything if you try to fool me. I have spent the last 24 hours downloading all of your lives. You think I don't know the truth about these things_?"

"I apologize."

"_I'm not going to take Abby tonight. I promised Timmy that I wouldn't take anyone just yet and I am a man of my word."_

Tony collapsed against the back of the couch. "Good to hear that you have some sense of honor."

"_Don't try to call me, DiNozzo. I will talk to you only when I'm in the mood for some cynicism and aggression_. _But you did well tonight. You bought Timmy some more sleep. Feel good about this, Tony." _The cell phone went dead.

Tony looked up at Gibbs. "Abby's safe tonight. Sebastian prides himself on his integrity. Promised McGee he wouldn't touch anyone yet."

Gibbs nodded. "I already had a security detail on Abby. Had a feeling about this. They're moving her to my house."

"This is only a fraction of what McGee is getting. Still I feel like I'm ready to put about six fist sized holes in the wall."

"He likes to corner people with their biggest fears."

Tony shook his head. "I don't know if McGee can survive all of this emotional trauma."

"You should have a little faith in me, Tony."

Heads swiveled to find McGee in pajama bottoms and a t-shirt leaning against the door to his bedroom.

Tony winced. "You should be sleeping."

"So should you." McGee walked past them into the kitchen.

Tony started to get up and follow, but Gibbs shook his head. "Give him some space."

Ten minutes later, he came out with two mugs of coffee and a bottle of water. He put the coffee on the table and curled up in a chair with his water. Gibbs picked up a mug and sipped. "Damn, Tim, this is good coffee."

"I got some state of the art thing in the kitchen from my publisher with some very expensive coffee beans. I'm glad to finally get a chance to use it. Figured that if I made it twice as strong, it would be about right for you."

Tony tried his and grimaced. "Clearly, you were only thinking about Gibbs when you made this sludge."

McGee raised an eyebrow. "This from the guy who doesn't think I'm going to make it."

"Yeah, sorry about that. Just a few minutes with him was overwhelming for me."

"Talking to Sebastian was not a good idea. It puts you in the middle of this too."

Tony shrugs. "Makes sense to help you carry the burden."

McGee nodded. "I should thank you for that, Tony, but you gotta' understand that you becoming his target does not help me."

Gibbs sighed. "We have to do better than to react to each situation."

"Yeah, he certainly didn't last very long with me on the phone. He finds Tim infinitely more interesting."

"Yeah, that would make him the first person in the my life to think so."

"Not true, McGee. You are unique."

"Uh, thanks Boss."

Tony cocked his head. "You really had a job offer from Steve Jobs?"

McGee looked away. "What does that matter, Tony? Who cares?"

"Sebastian does. He thinks you are endlessly fascinating. You could be a famous author writing bestselling novels full time or you could be in a 4200 square feet beachfront property in California working for Apple. Instead, you choose to stay here on a NCIS salary being the junior guy who gets bossed around and teased every day."

Tim shrugged. "So?"

Gibbs nodded. "It's a puzzle for him. I would wager that it's not just your sincere nature that draws him. I think he wants to understand you. As long as you're a conundrum for him, his curiosity is peaked."

Tony frowned. "Now, I'm confused. Why are you working at NCIS?"

Tim didn't answer.

"It's not that much of a mystery, DiNozzo. I've always understood it."

"Thanks Boss."

Tony looked at Tim. "I get it too. I don't always understand it, but I get it. I guess it wouldn't be obvious for a lot of people though."

"Especially someone with an ego like Sebastian."

"How does this help us?"

"I don't know yet, McGee. We gotta' think about this."

"Tim, you should get some sleep. We have no idea what he's going to do next."

"I slept a lot yesterday. I'd like to go into work if I could. I want to go over the programming trail again. I was hoping Agent Cho could join me."

"He's sleeping on a cot in the apartment we took over. Tim, it's not even 5 a.m."

"I assume I can't drive myself. Could Tony drop me off? He could go home and get some sleep."

Tony narrowed his eyes. "There's something different about you. Yesterday, you were…shaken. This morning you are…different."

"I did a lot of thinking about what Boss said. You asked me if I was a victim, and I realized that I truly do have a choice in that. I have to accept what's coming. I have to stop cringing and start thinking, planning."

Gibbs looked at him closely. "Good for you, Tim."

"So, can I get a ride to the office? I figure I'm safe in the building. Ziva doesn't have to be in any hurry to get there. I'll be fine."

Gibbs nodded. Tim disappeared back into his bedroom. Tony gave Gibbs a worried look. "I'd like to know what he's really thinking in that McBrainiac head of his."

"Leave him alone. He's standing on his feet again. It's a good thing."

….

Sarah McGee and Ziva David left the elevator. McGee saw them approaching and smiled. They almost looked like sisters. It struck him what a wonderful sister Ziva would make for Sarah. Ziva was so solid and practical. It would be a perfect complement to Sarah's more impulsive nature. His little sister spotted him and ran into his arms. He squeezed her tightly, inhaling her youthful and sweet essence. He didn't want to let go.

Finally, she had to extricate herself. "What's going on, Tim?"

"It's a bad case, Sarah. The details aren't important, but we're all on alert, and since you're my sister, I thought it best to keep you close."

"I have classes."

"I talked to your professors."

Her eyes widened. "You're kidding me."

"I know. You hate it when I interfere, but you gotta' trust me that it has to be this way."

She looked at him closely. "You're different. There's something weird about you."

McGee swallowed. "I'm focused, Sarah. On edge, actually. This is a tough case. We have to figure out how to do this right. I know that it sucks for me to disrupt your life like this, but if I don't have to worry about you, it's going to help me a lot."

She stepped away. "Something's off."

He looked at Ziva for help. She stepped forward. "Really, Sarah, it's a tough case. None of us have slept well. There's a lot of pressure. That's all it is."

"If you're all in danger, why I am staying with you instead of Tim. It would make sense that you would want me nearby."

Tim swallowed. "I'm more at the center of this than Ziva is. That's all I can tell you. It's going to have to be enough."

Sarah sighed. "I give up. If it helps you for me to be under protection, I won't get in your way…for the time being."

He smiled. "Thank you, Sarah. It means everything to me."

She shook her head at him. "You are so not you right now."

He shrugged. "Let it go, Sarah. I'm stressed. We all are. I was hoping you would want to spend the day downstairs with Abby. She hasn't seen you in forever. I told your professors you were going to keep up with your reading and assignments. You can work down there."

Sarah wrinkled her forehead at her brother once more. "Okay. I'll behave, but you are being very weird."

He just looked at her impassively. "You know how to find Abby. We'll talk soon."

He waited until she disappeared into the elevator. He turned his attention to Ziva. "I have a…friend stopping in about an hour. I'm in conference room A. Can you just send him back?"

She blinked at him. "You're kidding, right? We're basically in lockdown and you invite a friend over. You don't ever bring people up here. What is going on?"

Tim looked down. "It's personal, Ziva. I need to tie up some loose ends in my life. I figured you would understand. You're so dispassionate, practical, and objective."

"Yes, yes, I am all of those things. Who is this friend?"

"He's lawyer."

She stared at him. "Your sister's right. You are off."

…

Gibbs rubbed the back of his head as he strode into the bullpen. Two hours napping against the radiator in the surveillance apartment had done little to relieve his exhaustion. At least, Fornell had sent someone out to stock the bathroom and the kitchen. A hot shower went a long way in bringing him back to life.

Ziva sat her desk, arms folded as he walked by. There was no greeting. McGee's desk was empty. He put his coffee down. "Okay. Where's McGee?"

"Conference room." She gestured with her head.

"Alone."

"No, there is a strange man in there with him."

"Right. Funny."

She looked up at him. "It is true. I just left them."

"What the hell, Ziva?"

"I'm too angry right now to stay with him. I called him names."

Gibbs' eyes widened. "McGee?"

She nodded. "The strange man is a lawyer, and they are drawing up McGee's will. He let me read it."

Gibbs rolled his eyes. "You're kidding."

"Do you know how much money he has?"

Gibbs shrugged.

"He has a lot of money."

"I didn't think writing books was that lucrative."

She threw up her arms. "It's not everything. He is co-creator on two different video games on the market. Did you know that?"

"No."

"He's patented two security applications. Did you know that?"

"Yeah, I did. He gave them to the Navy without cost."

"But he still gets royalties."

"You're mad that he has more money than you?"

She was on her feet, glaring at him. "Of course not. I don't care about the money. I am mad because he asked me to be a witness to this will, and when I read it, I found out that I get money if he dies. You will too. As will Sarah, Abby, Ducky, Tony, and Jimmy. I do not want his money. If he dies, it is set up for me to benefit. That's terrible. I'm very offended by this."

"You refused to sign it for him?"

"Of course! What is wrong with him? This is bad luck. Wait until Tony hears this."

"He still in there with the lawyer?"

"Yes. It was only minutes ago that I threatened to break his knees if he ever came near me again with that document."

Gibbs raised an eyebrow at her. "Okay. I'll go talk to him, but you need to remember that your job is keep him safe not to dismantle him limb by limb."

…..

Gibbs opened the door and Tim looked up and winced. "Sorry Boss. Can you give me a couple of minutes? I wouldn't usually do this on work time, but it's important to me. And I know you probably feel the same as Ziva and I understand. This isn't about giving up-"

"McGee, have you found your witness?"

"No. I was waiting for someone to show up in accounting. It's still early."

He sat down. "I'll be your witness."

McGee narrowed his eyes. "Are you sure you don't want to yell me first?"

"When my first wife and daughter were alive, I went over my will every time I was scheduled to go overseas. Sometimes, it's necessary. I would not say this is that time though. I don't like that you are doing this. I feel like you've resigned yourself to whatever Sebastian has planned, and that bothers me. Still, I understand the need to make sure that your affairs are in order. I have one stipulation though."

Tim nodded.

"Nobody on this team gets a single penny if something happens to you. None of us want that. It rubs the wrong way. Don't do that to us."

"Sorry about that, Boss. I certainly didn't mean to offend you or Ziva."

"You're lucky DiNozzo is not here. You know how superstitious he is. He would rip you a new one over this."

McGee grimaced. "If I fix this now, you could make sure he never knows, right?"

"You don't have to convince me. Talk to Ziva."

McGee blinked, then scrambled to his feet and headed out the door yelling, "Ziva!"

Gibbs turned to the lawyer. "He's not ready for you yet. I'll have him call you when the time is right."

The lawyer opened his mouth, but Gibbs was already shutting the door behind him.

…..

DiNozzo came into the conference room sleepy eyed, his hair sticking up on one side. He wasn't scheduled to be in for another 2 ½ hours, but, like Gibbs, he lived on adrenaline on cases like this. Gibbs frowned and grunted at him, the sound full of disapproval about Tony's lack of self care. Tony winced and sat down next to Ziva.

She leaned over, "You would not believe what McGee did this morning. I would tell you but he made me promise not to."

He scowled at her. "I could strangle you with my bare hands for that."

She looked at him solemnly. "You know how I am about keeping promises."

"But you teased me, you sly little minx. There are consequences for that."

She struggled to control the grin pulling at her mouth. "I am evil."

He was overwhelmed with the impulse to put his arms around her, and squeeze her until she was his. It was a weird reaction, but Ziva had buried herself deep in his soul and he was forever looking for ways to find her there and hold onto her. He shook his head, "What's going on? Boss looks like he swallowed some bad coffee. How's McGee?"

"Gibbs and Fornell have been railing against the Cybercrimes and FBI guys about how we've had Sebastian on the phone and on the computer for extended periods of time and they have pinpointed nothing. Apparently, Sebastian is using hundreds of different IP addresses. They are having trouble sifting through the fake ones and identifying the real one. Gibbs is not interested in any more excuses and he acts like he's ready to shoot them at any minute. After the last diatribe, I detected the distinct smell of urine."

McGee?"

"He's working alongside of them, and he's feeling it too. Gibbs knows that Tim has too much to contend with to be able to concentrate fully, but he is trying very hard. He's weirdly calm, but he doesn't look at anyone but Cho. The two of them have been buried in that laptop for hours."

"Is he eating?"

She let her grin emerge this time. "Yes, mother, Ducky went shopping and sends in fruit and protein every couple of hours."

She looked at him critically. "Did you sleep at all?"

He winced. "I talked to that bastard, Sebastian, last night. It's all I dreamed about."

She leaned against him. "Tim is like a little brother."

DiNozzo felt such comfort in her touch. "He's my best friend."

"I know, Tony. And I know how much you love your true friends."

…

Sarah abandoned her books again and found Abby. The forensic scientist was examining some of the concrete pieces from Aurelia's ghastly tomb. Sarah had struggled for details on this case all morning, but Abby brushed her off time and again. She leaned over Abby's shoulder, "I would be good at this work, I think."

Abby's ponytails swung in her direction. "You could be like Tim: a writer and an investigator."

"I understand his need to do this. He's always been compelled to protect and help. He's done it for me for years. Dad was so disappointed with his weaknesses. He couldn't get over seasickness or fear of heights. He had asthma and seemed to be allergic to everything. Had no interest in sports outside of baseball. Dad used to get so impatient with him. Called him the wimp."

Abby frowned at her. "I never knew this."

Sarah shrugged. "Tim put up with all of it because he knew Dad loved him, but the constant disappointment took a toll."

"He's always had so much admiration for your dad. He talks about him like he's a hero."

"He is to us...for the most part. Families aren't just good or bad. Dad loves us like crazy, but he has high expectations, and he couldn't hide his disappointment in his only son. Tim knows it's complicated, and he doesn't want anyone to think bad about Dad."

"Oh, McGee. He tries so hard at everything. He breaks my heart sometimes."

Sarah raised an eyebrow. "He does? I didn't know that was possible. He says you treat him with perfect indifference these days."

Abby stared at her. "I don't."

"Really?"

Abby closed her eyes. "The truth is, Sarah, that your brother scares me."

"I thought sweet Tim McGee couldn't scare anyone."

"Did you know that McGee doesn't want me anywhere near this investigation? Gibbs is making me stay in the lab. He told me to stay away."

Sarah searched her eyes. "My brother loves you. He wants you safe. It's gotta' be no coincidence that I'm stuck down here with you. He wants us close but not too close. If we're together, it's even better. One target is easier to protect than two targets."

"You really should think about being an investigator. You see things very clearly."

"Abby, listen to me. He thinks you are amazing. He tries not to, but he can' stop it. He wants you safe from Sebastian just like he wants me safe."

Abby's eyes got wet. "We're wrong for each other, Sarah."

Sarah took her hand. "Why do you think that?"

"I can't be like him."

She smiled. "He doesn't want you to change at all. He knows you think he wants you to change your look and everything goth, but he's not like that."

Abby rubbed at her eyes. "When I think about him, I get scared, really scared."

Sarah reached over and pushed one of Abby's coal black tendrils behind her ear. "Maybe, it wouldn't work. Maybe, you are too scared. Tim will survive you. He will find love, but he won't find another you. I think he'll learn to live with that though."

Abby hugged Sarah tightly. "Somehow, hearing that scares me the most of all."

….

McGee's phone erupted in a scream in the conference room. They had tried to change the ringer, but it kept defaulting back. Vibrate wasn't loud enough to compete with the noise of the busy conference room. McGee was on his feet immediately, staring at it.

Gibbs leaned toward him. "Can you do this?"

Tim's face twisted. He turned and drove his fist into the wall. Everything stopped. Tony was on his feet and at his side. The scream continued from the phone. He whispered in Tim's ear and Tim nodded solemnly. He reached over with his good hand and grabbed the phone on its sixth bloodcurdling scream.

"Yeah."

"Timmy, you were afraid to talk to me."

Tim closed his eyes. "Yes."

Tony gently manipulated the bad arm. When he got to the wrist, McGee jumped, a groan escaping him.

"What was that? I heard you groan."

McGee's eyes locked with Gibbs across the table. "When you called, I punched the wall. My wrist is…injured."

"Is it your left or your right?"

Tim sighed. "It's my right."

"And yet you are left-handed. Your impulse was to throw your right. It tells me that aggression is unnatural for you. If it was an instinctual part of you, you would have led with your stronger hand."

Tony winced at the swelling growing on McGee's wrist. He turned to Ziva. "Get Ducky."

Gibbs looked around the room at the various programmers. "If you don't have a vital purpose in this room right now, get out." They grabbed their laptops and scattered.

Tim concentrated on Sebastian. "I am not aggressive by nature."

"Submissive?"

"No, not that either."

"We'll get back to this later. Let's spend some time on Aurelia. I already have it loaded unto your laptop. Let's go back to the moment you first saw her…."

…..

An hour later, Tim was leaning forward on the table, his shirt unbuttoned, sweat beading on his forehead. Sebastian was relentless regarding his reactions, his feelings. Ducky had arrived and splinted the wrist. He didn't dare administer pain medication yet. McGee needed all of his faculties.

"Tim, talk to me about raping a woman. Have you ever fantasized about that? Tell me the truth. I will know if you don't."

Tim wasn't teary this time. He responded robotically. "Never. I don't want to dominate a woman like that. It's distasteful to me."

"But there is such power. There is something terribly sexy about pleading, desperate eyes. They will give you anything in order to escape pain or death."

Ziva flinched. Tony noticed and slipped his hand under the table and grasped hers. Ziva was so silent about what she had suffered in Somalia.

"I have no interest in that."

"Well, that's too bad. Timmy, you've become numb. And to me, that is deeply unsatisfying."

Tim lifted his head. "I can't feel what you want. I feel disgust and revulsion, but it's become such a constant emotion when I think of you. I can't muster much react to it anymore."

"You won't keep me entertained long enough like this. I'm going to get impatient. I think it's time we talk about our next victim."

Tim groaned. "You promised me."

"And you haven't held up your end of the deal."

"What do you want? I'll do it."

Tim was sliding into desperation again, and Gibbs rounded the table and put a hand on his neck.

"I want to kill someone close to you and I want you to watch."

Tim licked his lips and looked up at Gibbs. Gibbs shook his head slowly. "I can't do that. If you take someone close to me, I won't participate."

"And lose a chance to save them? I don't think so."

"What about me? What if you could dissect me?" Gibbs leaned over and hissed, "No!" into his ear.

There was hesitation on the other end of the phone. "Who would be the audience?"

Tim ignored Gibbs. "My team. The whole team. Are you up to a challenge like that? They would all analyze. They would all play your game."

"I have spoken to DiNozzo already. He would spend the time insulting me and I would get little from him. David's profile tells me that she would be stoic. And Gibbs is made of granite. That scenario is not very appealing."

Tim took a deep breath. "You're not up to the challenge. You don't think you could make them break. There are even limitations to the great Sebastian."

"Enough! I have heard enough. You need a warning, Timmy. I knew this was coming. I prepared for it. Any minute, an alarm will sound and you will know how serious I am." The phone went dead.

Tim looked around the table. "Abby and Sarah!"

Gibbs hit the door first; Tony, Ziva and Tim threaded through after. They were to the stairs when the alarm sounded. Gibbs hit his phone, "Abby!" The phone rang endlessly.

They burst into the hallway and found the protection detail slumped on the floor. No one stopped. They went through the door of the lab, guns drawn. There was no sound. Tim started screaming both of their names. Tony pushed past and ran to the back of the lab. He stopped short. Abby and Sarah lay slumped in the corner, large red stains growing on their chests.

….

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Sorry the wait was so long. I really had to grapple with what was coming next. I love angst and whumpage, but decided that this story needed a more clear direction. It was getting to be too "fetal position McGee" for me. I hope it works for you and I hope you tell me. Sheila

Uncommon Minds

Chapter 4

Tim came up behind Tony and gasped. Gibbs stood there like a statue. Tony pushed forward and knelt between them. He turned his head. "It's not blood!"

He put fingers to the carotid on each and then his body deflated. "Their pulses are strong."

McGee pushed past him and grabbed Sarah and wrapped her in his arms. "Wake up, Sarah! Wake up!"

Then he reached for Abby, but Tony was in the way. Sarah groaned and her eyes fluttered open. Tony got the same response from Abby. Gibbs swayed, and grabbed for the edge of the counter. Then he shook his head and took off for the door. He hit his cell phone and barked, "Ducky! Lab!" He passed the two security men in the hallway who were trying to wake themselves. He spotted Ziva down the hallway and chased her. She had cornered the intruder in a janitor's closet. He was curled up on the floor, shaking. A plastic gun with a large barrel lay next to him, red pellets spilling out. Gibbs stared down at him, unable to understand what was happening initially. Ziva kicked the gun away and pulled him up, handcuffing him, and then pushing him out into the hallway. The man howled, but put up no resistance.

Gibbs looked at Ziva and croaked. "Put him in interrogation."

She nodded. "It appears he assaulted them with a paint gun, but these weren't regular pellets. These were strong enough to knock them out."

"He's sending a message."

"But he didn't kill them."

Gibbs sighed. "There is no satisfaction in killing for him unless it can be a spectacle."

…..

Gibbs' legs felt like jello walking back into the lab. His heart beat so hard he wondered if he was close to a coronary event, but he ignored it. Both Abby and Sarah were sitting up now. Ducky had arrived, and was pushing Tony out of the way. Tim was standing back now, clearly in shock.

Willing for his calm, Gibbs squatted in front of them. "Abs, are you okay?"

She winced. "My chest has a headache."

He snorted a noise that was meant to be a laugh, but sounded like a sob. He put a hand on Sarah's knee. "How are you doing?"

She nodded. "Okay, I guess. It was so weird. The man was so frightened. He came in weeping, herded us to the back, and he kept apologizing."

McGee clutched the counter for support. "Another of Sebastian's victims. Forced to do something desperate in order to keep his loved ones safe."

Having been unceremoniously unseated by Ducky, Tony turned his attention to McGee. "I think you're right."

Gibbs nodded. "I agree. Ziva has him in interrogation. He's a sniveling mess."

Tim looked at Gibbs. "He can have them whenever he wants. That's the message for me."

Gibbs shook his head slowly, his eyes focused on McGee. "He can't, Tim. I won't let him."

Tim tensed. "Then how were they not safe here? How can you make these promises, Boss?"

Tony took him by the shoulders. "Come on, Tim. Don't get lost here."

Tim pulled away, his eyes wild. "We can plant locators on me everywhere. He can have me. I don't care. I am okay with that. We can end this."

Abby got to her feet, stiff and unsteady. "Stop it, McGee! He can't have you."

He was startled by her outburst.

Tony caught her as she swayed, but she pushed off him and headed for Tim. "We got problems, you and I. You think you know what's going on in my heart, but you don't. I don't take you for granted. I really don't."

She lurched into his arms and hugged him tightly. "You don't understand me like you think you do, McGee."

Tim blinked in confusion.

She buried her face in his chest. "I need you. If you give yourself to that monster, I'll be destroyed. I can't say the right words because they scare me too much, but you belong to me, McGee. No one else can have you."

Tim furrowed his brow. "I don't understand. You don't even want to spend time with me anymore."

Abby started to cry and Tim looked around the room in alarm. Tony shook his head, a grin growing on his face. Behind him, Ziva had returned, and when she saw Abby declare her feelings for Tim, she started rubbing at the bridge of her nose. Gibbs came forward and rubbed her back. "That's enough, Abs. McGee has plenty of puzzles to solve right now. We'll have to save yours until this is all over."

She held tight. "But he doesn't understand, Gibbs. He doesn't understand what he means to me."

He gently extricated her. "I'm not sure you understand it much either."

Mascara snaked down her cheeks as Gibbs pulled her away She stayed focused on McGee. "Tim, say you understand. Just a little bit."

Tim looked at her solemnly, his head cocked. "I don't know. I wish we had more time. It would be nice to be with you again. I've loved you for so long. Right now, it feels like it's just too late."

Abby pulled away from Gibbs. "We do have time. I'm going to come up and help with the tracking. We'll do it together like we always have; just you and I chasing monsters. And we'll talk and talk and talk until we figure everything out."

McGee frowned and his breathing quickened. "He could have killed you and Sarah. It was only because he chose not to. He's smarter than all of us, Abs. You gotta' understand that. I have to stop him. I have to convince him that he only needs me. I will scream for him all he wants."

Ducky stood up. "Timothy, you're starting to lose your grip on reality. You need to sit down and we'll talk about it."

Tim blinked and backed away. "I can stop him. I just need to talk to him. You all need to stay here and hide."

"Tim, you're not thinking," Gibbs reasoned.

"I'm going to go now. I'll keep in touch. Sebastian will contact you when he has me."

"Tony," Gibbs growled.

Tim turned and tried to dart past Tony and Ziva. Tony grabbed him from behind and held him tightly. Tim fought him. Tony accidentally grabbed his bad wrist and McGee howled in pain. Ziva was there, holding his face and talking to him softly. Tim continued to struggle until Ducky came up behind him and pushed a needle into his arm.

…..

Tony was leaning against the wall in the hallway when Gibbs came out of interrogation. "What are we going to do with him, Boss?"

Gibbs shook his head. "He's brother to the second victim. Sebastian contacted him three days ago, and threatened to take his children if he didn't take on this 'suicide' mission. Like the rest of them, he fully believes Sebastian can do whatever he chooses."

"He should have gone to the FBI."

"I know. Fornell's people are going to take over."

"What's he going to get charged with?"

Gibbs grimaced. "Does it matter, DiNozzo? Sebastian crawls so deep into people that they can't see anything else. This guy isn't a killer. For right now, I'm gonna' recommend a psych eval."

Tony's mouth tightened. "He should be in jail."

"Come on, Tony. Who you mad at?"

"We're spinning our wheels. Nothing works. Everyone's a victim. No one's really willing to do what it takes in order to shut this beast down."

"I know. I need to talk to McGee." Gibbs whispered as he walked away.

Tony's eyes followed him and then widened. "Not that kind of a risk, Boss. No way!"

He took off running down the hall after him.

….

"It's preposterous! I won't participate in this farce!" Ducky was red-faced.

"I have to say that I'm with the Duckman on this one, Boss." Tony shook his head. "It's pigheaded."

"He's too fragile," Ziva added.

Fornell turned to Gibbs. "They really think you don't already know it's a lousy idea."

Gibbs sighed. "As an idea, it sucks, but I think it's the best we've got. We have to get Sebastian out in the open. Only Tim can do that."

"He was fully delusional just six hours ago. I can't believe you're thinking this, Boss." Tony waved his arms.

"Enough! I know it's risky, but it's the best we've got. McGee is a highly trained agent. I believe he can handle this."

"He's been through too much, Jethro."

"He can't handle it, Boss." Ziva said, her arms folded tightly.

Gibbs looked up at the conference room door. It was open and McGee stood there, his eyes blurry. All eyes turned to him.

"Timothy, my boy, I expected you to sleep another couple of hours." Ducky stood up.

McGee leaned against the door. "I was wrong before. I got lost. I know that."

"You've been through too much," Tony seemed poised to get up and grab him if needed.

McGee looked at Gibbs. "Thank you for the faith in my abilities, Boss. I'm not a kid anymore. I don't need everyone's protection. I thought I had everyone's respect, but if I don't, that's okay too. I don't need it."

Ziva frowned. "This is not about respect, McGee. You've been terrorized emotionally for days. I don't know how I would handle this."

McGee rubbed at his face. "That's a good question, Ziva. What about it? If this had happened to you or to Tony, would we be questioning your ability to stay in the field? Or is that just reserved for the probie? I mean, I've been working here for seven years. Am I still just a naïve kid?"

"Hey man, don't get offended. We're worried about you." Tony stood up.

Tim put up a hand. "Sit down, Tony. I'm not going to run. I know how I sounded a few hours ago. I know I am emotionally fragile, but using me as bait is the best way to find him. I'm not a boy, I'm a man. I'm a trained NCIS agent, and I want to bring him in."

Gibbs nodded. "I know, Tim. And if you're willing, we'll do this, but it's not because it's a great idea. Tony's right. You have been through too much, and I wouldn't let Ziva or Tony do it either if I had the choice. I mean that. You're part of my team, Tim. Putting my people in the line of fire is not something I do lightly. If anything happens to you, we will all have to live with it for the rest of our lives."

Fornell frowned at the agents. "This isn't on McGee alone. We all have to play this just right. Tim might be the bait, but you, Tony, and Ziva, need to track him with precision. We can't send teams of agents out following McGee. Sebastian will notice."

Ziva looked at Tony. "We would never let Tim out of our sight, especially with a maniac like Sebastian on the loose."

"Good!" Fornell said. Then he looked at Ducky. "You have to implant GPS microchips in McGee. Unpleasant but necessary."

"I'm afraid I'm terribly uncomfortable with this." Ducky shook his head.

Tim looked at him. "Ducky, I need your help. I can't do it without you. I need you to believe in me." McGee took a chair beside Gibbs.

"How is this an issue of faith or respect, Timothy? I fail to see the connection."

"I can't ever really recover from this if I'm only the victim. Gibbs knows this."

Ducky shook his head. "At the risk of your own life?"

McGee looked down at the table. "It's not going to be much of a life if I hide from this and don't help bring him down. I'm not built to survive a failure of that magnitude."

"Yes, and that is exactly the kind of psychological pressure you put on yourself that has always worried me. You are too driven. You are so hard on yourself."

McGee didn't answer, and, for a moment, they all sat with that thought.

Gibbs ran a hand roughly over his face. "Okay people, we're doing it."

…

She ran down the hallway chasing the silver head in front of her. When she reached him, she grabbed his arm and he turned and calmly said, "What can I do for you, Sarah?"

She had a tear-streaked face and Gibbs closed his eyes. Tim had talked to her. It was clear he'd explained what he could, and she was clearly terrified. He spotted an empty conference room and ushered her inside. As he closed the door, she slammed her palm onto the table and yelled, "Do you not even care about him!"

Gibbs took a deep breath and sat down. "I do, Sarah. Very much."

Breathing hard, she leaned across the table at him. "He's all I have."

"The two of you are close, I know. We're going to be very careful. Would it help if I called your mother and father and explained?"

She looked up. "No, it would not. They don't know anything about this. I haven't talked to either of them in a year."

Gibbs raised an eyebrow. "I thought your family was closer than that."

She sat down and shook her head. "Agent Gibbs, I imagine you thought a lot of things that aren't true."

"I don't understand."

She wiped at her face. "Did you know that my brother, Tim, is a failure? He's been one since the day he was born."

"That's ridiculous! Why would you even say something like that?"

"Tim tells you that growing up was good. He talks about mom and dad like everything was normal, and to his credit, I think he makes himself believe that it was. But the truth is that Tim was miserable most of his childhood. Do you have any idea on what pressure there is when you are the only son of a battleship commander who is the fifth generation McGee to be an Navy officer ?"

Gibbs furrowed his brow. "I can imagine it's pretty intense."

"My father probably loves Tim, but he's not an easy man, and he's been disappointed in him forever. Nothing was ever right about Tim. He was a sickly kid. He was terrible at sports. Socially, he was shy and awkward. He got harassed in school. The fact that his grades were perfect didn't matter to my dad. What mattered was that Tim got violently seasick whenever he got on a boat. He was afraid of heights. He was allergic to everything. Dad sent him to his old prep school, and Tim was bounced out in a month. He couldn't get into Annapolis. Got kicked out of Dad's old frat."

"I can't picture Tim failing at any school, Sarah."

"He wouldn't play the game. At the prep school, a group of boys wanted him to hack into the system and change their grades. He refused. They pushed him out of a second story window. The school expelled him for his own safety. The frat kicked him out under pretty much the same circumstances. For Annapolis, he failed the stress tests. Our dad didn't talk to him for two years after that."

"I didn't know."

"He doesn't want anyone to know. It's like a virus. If he tells you about it, you have to wonder what part of it is true. Our father is a highly decorated battleship commander. He can't be all wrong, can he? This is how Tim thinks, Agent McGee."

She took a breath. "My brother catches bad guys, he writes books, he designs games, and he holds important patents, but he wakes up every morning sure that he's never done a worthwhile thing in his life. Dad used to call him 'whimp' all the time to his face. It's why I stopped talking to my parents. He's too hard and my mother does nothing to stop him."

"I didn't know any of this."

"Just remember, Gibbs. In his head, it's not an option to stay back. He'll never forgive himself. He'll hear Dad's voice telling him that he was never good enough."

She reached over and took his hand. "In the last few years, he's been a lot less anxious. I think it's because of you. I think he hears your voice now, and it drowns out what Dad says. I've always wanted to thank you for that."

Gibbs frowned. "Your brother needs to learn to listen to himself."

"You know how to do that, and that's what you're teaching him. I just need you to keep him alive. He's my brother and my best friend." She stopped to rub at her tears.

Gibbs nodded. "I won't let you down, Sarah. He's important to all of us. I…uh, care for him deeply. We'll bring him back to you. I promise that."

…..

McGee sat alone in the conference room. He felt pain from the sites where Ducky had sliced him and inserted GPS. Ducky had used a special adhesive and he could barely identify their locations with the naked eye. He placed his hands flat on the table. The shaking in them was still evident. He would have to hide them when Gibbs came in to get him. The specter of Sebastian loomed over him like the devil himself, and he knew he was on the verge of being emotionally gutted by his fear. He closed his eyes and tried to surround himself with the voices of those who believed in him.

"Tim."

His eyes flew open. Abby stood across the table from him, looking everything like a frightened child.

"Hi Abs." He knew she needed comforting but it was more than he could do to keep his own body in control.

She didn't approach. "I know you are working hard right now to prepare for this mission. I don't want to disturb that."

"Thanks."

"I just need you to know that you've been…special to me…forever. I act immature sometimes and sometimes, I get scared because I'm not ready for the same things that you are. I don't want to confuse you anymore."

He nodded warily. "Okay."

"I'm going to work the computers with Cho. I want to help track you."

"You're the best, Abby. I'm glad you'll be there for me."

"If you get lost, Tim, I want you to go to .org. I'll be there. I'll be Geeksgirl. I will be there 24/7. We can talk there. Gibbs doesn't know. He doesn't understand the comfort of online connections like you and I do."

McGee tried to smile. "Abs, I'm protected in so many ways. This is not going to go bad. I promise you."

She shrugged. "If, for some reason, the burn phone doesn't work or you just need to talk, I'm there for you."

He stared at her for a moment. The two of them fit like well-worn leather gloves. And yet, he was never bored. Every time, he went down to the lab, he felt a flutter in his gut. That hadn't changed in 7 years. She was so very special and precious to him. His emotions took over and he stood up. "Abs, I could use a hug before I go."

In her impossible black, knee high boots, she ran around the table and threw her arms around him. He loved her smell and the way she hugged without any inhibition. She gave herself fully to the act of just holding him. Her head rested on his chest, and for a few moments, the two of them just breathed together.

The door opened and Tim looked up. Gibbs was there with Fornell, Ziva, and DiNozzo. The waiting was over. It was time to get this done.

"Abs, I got to sit with the boss now. Okay?"

She held on, but looked at him with her green eyes. "Don't forget us, Tim. We're infinitely more powerful than Sebastian ever will be. Promise me you'll remember that."

He nodded. More than anything, he wanted to forget where he was and who was watching. He just wanted to be lost in Abby forever.

"Abby."

She shook her head. Gibbs was using his serious voice now. She stepped back, smiled at McGee one more time with watery eyes and then ran out of the room. McGee watched her until she disappeared and he didn't care who saw him.

Ziva was beside him before he noticed. "I love watching you with her." She murmured over his shoulder. "It makes me believe that true love is possible."

"One-sided true love isn't as sweet as you think," he whispered back as they sat.

Fornell looked feverish. "We can't wire you and it stinks. You're going to have to leave on your own. No computer. No cell phone. He has to believe you escaped. I can't give you cash. It would make too much sense that you stop at an ATM. Ziva and Tony will follow you in an hour."

McGee nodded.

"You need to get a computer, find a place to hide out, and figure out how to contact Sebastian. If we make it any easier for you, he'll believe you're a plant."

Gibbs broke in. "Ziva and Tony will be searching the area. Both of their cell phones will be in the car, but one of them will be with you all the time. If Sebastian is tracking them, it has to be through their phones."

"It's too risky to have them along," McGee frowned.

"You have no electronics on you. Sebastian can't track you until you contact him. We're not doing this unless one of them is with you at all times."

"When I find him?"

Gibbs looked up at the ceiling. "I've got burn phones for each of you and one for me and Tobias. They're untraceable. We don't know exactly what to expect so we're planning this as we go. There are too many different scenarios to cover. Suffice it to say, we want you to flush him out long enough to go after you. Tobias and I will walk you through it after that."

"Okay." The discomfort in the room hung over them like a blanket. This was not the kind of plan Gibbs would normally approve and the uncertainty of it was felt by all of them.

"McGee!" Tony announced. "We're going to take good care of you. After all, you're my only sibling. I can't go back to being an only child."

Around the room they all forced smiles until McGee's original phone went off. Gibbs was holding it, and Sebastian was calling with a horrific new screensaver that showed Ziva face on Aurelia's body. They all froze. Tim reached for it, but Gibbs grabbed his hand. "Don't touch it. Let him worry. Let him wonder what happened to you."

Tim pulled back a shaky hand and nodded.

Gibbs looked at Tony and Ziva. "Get upstairs and learn how to use these new damn phones."

Tony gave Tim a thumbs up, and Ziva reached over, kissed him lightly on the cheek, and whispered. "Tismoch alai, ha-chever sheli."

Tim's face felt hot and then he noticed the intensity of Gibbs' eyes on his. "It'll be okay, Boss."

Gibbs looked down and cleared his throat before speaking. "You're a good man and an excellent field agent. I'm proud to know you, Tim."

"I won't let you down."

Gibbs shook his head. "Never worry about that. It's never happened and it never will. Rule number one for you is to always be proud of your own hard work and success. You deserve that."

Tim puzzled over these words. Gibbs reached over and patted his arm and then hurried out of the room.

Fornell started to follow him. Tim stood up. "Agent Fornell, could you stay a couple of minutes? I need to talk to you."

….

"Tismoch alai, ha-chever sheli" means "You can rely on me, my friend."

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Another looong chapter. I do this to offer an actual episode to you rather than a snippet or a scene. I am working hard to capture their voices. The adrenaline has kicked in and I finally know where this is going. This chapter is intense and there is both violence and humor. I am eager to know what you think. Sheila

Uncommon Minds

Chapter 5

Aurelia sat across the table from him, her hands folded. She looked at him like Gibbs might look at a suspect. She shook her head and sighed deeply. "I won't be able to hold my little girl ever again. Do you think about that?"

Tim nodded. He wanted to reach for her hands and beg her forgiveness, but she was foreboding and cold.

"You are brilliant, Timmy, but you lack imagination. You would have never seen the elevator through the concrete."

McGee frowned. "I have imagination. I must. I've written books."

Aurelia snorted. "You're simply a voyeur. You observed the lives of others and then recorded them. Your team should've sued."

"I'm sorry, Aurelia."

She shook her head. "You gave me hope. I thought you could be remarkable, but I was wrong."

"I tried very hard."

She laughed bitterly. "Well, I can certainly give you an 'A' for effort. Sebastian will have you. I know you can sense that. And he'll send a feed to NCIS, and they'll all watch, desperate to save poor little Timmy McGee. But you will die without any of the dignity you hold so dear. After he's finished, your sister will be lost without you. She is so strong-willed and filled with anger. She'll drink through her grief until no one will be able to recognize her anymore."

"Please, don't say that!" Tim gripped the edge of the table.

"Abby will make desperate choices in men in an effort to forget you. You've seen the quality of men she chooses. I wonder what it'll be like if a meth addict captures her heart or another stalker. It will be sad to see so much potential being dragged down into the gutter."

He was on his feet, pleading with her. "Please Aurelia! I did the best I could! I can't do it over! I want to, but I can't!"

"Sebastian's coming for you. He'll make you scream like a baby in front of everyone you love. Tell me you're not frightened. Tell me!"

"I am! I am terrified! I know what's coming! God help me! I know!"

Hands grabbed him and he screamed.

"Tim! Tim! It's Ziva. It's just a dream. It's okay. I'm here. Tony's here. Wake up!"

Tim sat up suddenly, panting hard. He saw Ziva's profile in the dim light coming from the neon signs out the hotel window. He dropped his head between his knees while she rubbed his back.

When he lifted his head, he saw Tony's outline standing there. The older man nodded. "Hotel's going to send someone up here if you keep screaming. Kinda' screws with our cover."

"I'm sorry," he breathed.

"I know," said Tony softly. He went back to where he was sitting by the window. The three of them were in one room with two double beds.

When Tim left the building 14 hours earlier, he'd withdrawn money, took a cab to a car rental, bought a computer, software, and then drove out near the airport. Hotels dotted the landscape out there like a herd of cows. He couldn't even remember the name of the one he chose. He picked a room on the top floor, changed into shorts and a t-shirt, and set up his equipment. Then he logged in and started searching. He spent almost 10 hours looking for Sebastian while keeping a low enough profile that Sebastian would believe he was on the run from NCIS and the FBI.

Ziva and Tony had followed him to the hotel and Ziva got out. Then Tony spent 8 hours combing the D.C. area in the car as if searching for McGee. It was mind-numbing, and by the time he gave up for the night, he was surly and irritable. Ziva spent most of her time casing the hotel, making sure she knew it well enough when the time came.

It was only two hours ago that she and Tony converged on McGee with greasy pizza and soda. All of them had been too tired and frustrated to do much more than eat and try to sleep. Tony had nominated himself to stay awake and stand guard.

"I'm sorry, guys. No more nightmares." McGee mumbled into the darkness.

"Well, this is your second one since you fell asleep, McGee. And I'm telling you that you scream like a girl, and it sets my teeth on edge."

Tim heard a smack. Then Ziva leaned toward him. "We know you can't help it, McGee, and I know more than my share about night terrors. So I have an idea."

Without further explanation, she climbed under the covers with him. Tim's eyes widened. "I…uh, I don't know what you're doing, but I'm pretty sure this is not a good idea."

Tony snickered. "Way to go, McScore."

Ziva ignored both of them. She snuggled up against Tim and wrapped an arm around his waist. "I think this will help."

Tim squirmed away from her. "Ziva, I think I will take the other bed."

She grabbed his arm and pulled him back down. "It's documented that night terrors are alleviated when the person having them is sleeping with someone they trust. You do trust me, right?"

"Yes, Ziva, but I'm a guy and I'm sort of an octopus in bed. I mean, I tend to…move around a lot in my sleep and…hold things tightly."

"Perfect. That's what I am here for, McGee."

"There'll be a misunderstanding."

She pulled him toward her. "Listen to me! I had severe terrors after Somalia. I was too frightened to get much in the way of sleep. So one night, I packed my things and went over to Tony's place. I made him sleep with me for most of a month."

"I thought that was the thing of which we were never to speak," Tony growled in the darkness.

Ziva gave an exasperated sigh. "The point is that I slept better and Tony was a gentleman. I needed that. Someone safe to hold onto when my nightmares took over."

Tim could hardly see but his eyes were like saucers. "The two of you…."

"Ah, nothing happened, McBusybody. She curled up like a fierce kitten around me for a month, and then one night she just didn't come over. It was sad. I had finally unearthed my Barry White collection and everything."

"It was because I was ready to sleep on my own. Plus, you were letting your hands get a bit too strategic."

In the darkness, his shoulders shrugged. "What can I say? I'm a man. I have my limits."

"You might as well give in, McGee, because I am not leaving this bed."

"I don't think I can sleep like this."

She hit him with a pillow. "Give it half an hour first."

McGee was snoring softly into her hair before twenty minutes had passed.

….

He waited until Sebastian called McGee for the third time. He was sitting across a table from Fornell. They'd talked this over for hours, but he still wasn't sure what to say. On the fourth ring, he picked it up. "Sebastian?"

There was silence and Gibbs waited for Sebastian to hang up. Then he got a terse response, "_Hello Gibbs_."

Gibbs looked at Fornell. "McGee's not here."

He heard a heavy sigh. "_I already know that he ran from you."_

"Why call then?"

"_I won. I can have him now."_

"So you called to gloat."

"_I can't tell if you sent him out there to bait me or if he really got away."_

"You think I'm going to tell you the truth?"

"_I need you to know, Gibbs, that I'll have him either way. And I'll make you watch. If you planned this, you can live with the regret for the rest of your life."_

Gibbs slowly closed the phone.

Fornell frowned. "He hang up?"

"No. I just don't want to play with him. It's pointless."

"Okay. That's one way to respond."

"Tobias, did I do the right thing?"

Fornell smiled. "He did get to you."

"He is the most fragile of the three. I pretend he's not, but I know that he is."

Fornell chuckled. "That's not saying much, Jethro. Your team has survived a lot, McGee right along with them. The stress they've seen would've swallowed 90% of my agents or the other teams at NCIS, but your crew just keeps right on plugging away. It's your leadership, your example. McGee soaks up everything you say like a sponge. Let him do what you've taught him to do."

"You're right, Tobias. By the way, are you going to tell me why McGee kept you for half an hour before he left?"

Fornell shrugged. "Sorry, not my story to tell."

…

Tony waited until the sun started streaming in through the blinds. He opened them slowly. Then he got up and crept over to the bed. Light streamed in on his sleeping teammates. McGee was indeed an octopus. He was holding Ziva like she was his long lost teddy bear, snoring into her neck softly. Ziva herself was sleeping more soundly than he'd ever seen her.

Tony smiled. It had indeed been a peaceful night since Ziva had intervened. Nothing but McGee's snoring which, in itself, wasn't too bad. He pulled out his burn phone and hoped that its camera capabilities were good. Then he photographed the scene from every angle possible. Tony had an endless capacity for happy endings. He always lived life with the certainty that they would get through every possible obstacle, and when McGee was operating on all cylinders again, the blackmailing opportunities would be infinite.

…

McGee sat cross-legged on the bed logged on to his new computer. Tony paced the room like a caged lion, mumbling to himself. McGee finally looked up. "Go somewhere. There's a bar downstairs. Tell Ziva to swing by and pick you up. Go ride around with her."

"I'm not allowed! The littlest Gibblet is in trouble. I have to be here!"

Tim sighed. "Go! Please! I'll tell no one."

Tony swung an arm in his direction. "How do you just sit there with that laptop all day?"

Tim rolled his eyes. "I'm a nerd. It's what we do. You, on the other hand, are a rock star. You need the adulation of the public. Go somewhere! Interact! Flirt! Insult! Get it out of your system!"

Tony narrowed his eyes. "You're yelling at me!"

McGee scrambled off the bed and went nose to nose with Tony. "How many stakeouts have you and I done together? I know you! You need a break! Go for an hour! I won't answer the door. Promise!"

"Gibbs will kill me if something happens to you, and then I'll kill me," Tony hissed back.

Tim closed his eyes and dropped his head for a moment. Then he nodded. "You need to go out and review the security measures in the hotel. A good agent needs to check the perimeter from time to time. Talk to the bellboys, bartender, concierge; see if there has been any unusual activity this afternoon."

"That's lame, Probie."

McGee shook his head. "No, it's good. It guarantees that we both survive the afternoon."

Tony nodded slowly. "The idea is growing on me, McCompromise."

Tim chuckled. "Order me a sandwich or something while you're down there."

He waited until Tony was out the door before he settled himself with the laptop again. He had established himself in several chat rooms and message boards, but still no IM from Sebastian. There was only so much surfing he could do. An idea hit and he bit his lip, but the boredom was weighing on him as well. He typed in .org and hit the IM, "Hi Abs."

"_McGee!_"

He smiled. For a few moments, he could pretend that his life was normal again. "How are you doing? How's Sarah?"

"_I'm okay. Working with Danny Cho on a new snooper program. Love that man's hair and he drinks Caf-Pow. Sarah is helping too. Gibbs had to give her something constructive. I think she intimidates him. Swear to God! How are you?"_

"I'm okay. I haven't heard anything from Sebastian. Part of me is hoping that he'll just disappear."

"_Me too."_

"He can't disappear though. We have to catch him. No choice."

"_Do you ever wish we could go back in time when everything was simpler; back when it was easy for us to just love each other and be friends?"_

McGee sighed. "No. I think it was simple only for you, Abs."

The IM stopped. He waited. Finally, it came, "_You're right, Tim. We can't go back in time."_

"I'll always be your friend, Abby. I've learned how to do that."

"_It was simpler for me only because I didn't have to worry about losing you. Now I worry about it all the time even before Sebastian."_

Tim frowned. "I don't know why you'd feel that way. I've always been there for you."

"_Maybe you don't understand my feelings as well as you think you do_."

Tim didn't have time to puzzle over this. Another IM popped up on his screen. _"Hi Timmy."_

Fear rose up in his gut and his breath caught. He stared at it. Finally he typed in, "Who is this?"

"_Sebastian."_

McGee felt paralyzed. On the other side of his screen, Abby's IM blinked. He knew how abrupt it would be to just disappear from her site. His fingers shaky, he typed, "Got to go, Abs."

He knew she had questions, but she would know everything soon enough. He logged off and turned to Sebastian, "I'm here. I've been trying to find you."

He reached for the burn phone and opened it. He put it to his ear as he waited for Sebastian's response. Gibbs picked up. "He found me, Boss."

…

The elevator opened revealing an entire family with luggage. There was no space among them so Tony ran up the last three flights of steps. He thundered down the hallway, pulling out his weapon. At the door, he forgot all sense of procedure. He keyed in and barreled through. McGee was pulling on his suit pants. Tony leaned against the wall, breathing hard. "I knew something would happen if I left you alone."

"He found me on the web, Tony, not in person." Tim fumbled with the buttons on his shirt.

"Hey, slow down, McGee. You're not walking out of here until we have a plan."

Tim swallowed, sweat beading on his forehead. "I'm supposed to go to a bar in Georgetown."

"He's not going to grab you. Not going to happen. I talked to Ziva. She's going to meet us there."

"He's smart. He'll know it's a set up."

"We're going to be very careful, Tim. Obviously, he knows what we look like. I'm sure he found pictures somewhere, but we're well-trained and we know what to do."

He rubbed at his face and took a deep breath. "You're right. I need to calm down."

Tony picked McGee's suit jacket and held it out for him. "We're not going to let anything happen to you, McGeek."

Tim nodded and let Tony guide him into his jacket.

"We drive separately. You won't see me in Georgetown, but you'll know I'm there."

"Okay."

Tony took him by the shoulders. "Are you ready?"

McGee breathed out. "I can do this."

…..

Gibbs was driving to the Georgetown bar where McGee was scheduled to rendezvous with Sebastian. The unknowns in this case and the risks they were taking left him on the edge. When this was over, he was going to take the whole team offline for two weeks. Maybe he'd go fishing and maybe he'd even ask his team to come along if they were interested. All of them, especially McGee, needed some time to relax and breathe. He looked down at the burn phone. He had made a conscious decision not to call Tim before he got to the bar. The kid needed to know that he had confidence in him, and it wouldn't do to bother him with the same old directions time and again.

He was about to turn right onto the highway when he heard the sound of an engine bearing down. An SUV using all of its drive was headed at him. He tried to turn and get in front, but the SUV was too fast. Before he could get off the road, the front end of the SUV buried itself in the rear driver side door. Gibbs remembered the airbag assaulting him and pain shooting up his leg but nothing else.

…..

Gibbs opened his eyes to strangers peering in his car. Someone had punctured the bag, and a short, pudgy man was pulling him out of the front seat. Another man was protesting that correct procedure was to leave him in the car until he could be extracted by firefighters and EMTs. The other man said something about the two of them being old friends, and he needed to get him out now because of a heart condition.

Gibbs peered at the man with unfocused eyes. He took a moment to consider that he had a heart condition. Then, through the haze, he realized that this man was lying.

"No heart trouble," he murmured.

The pudgy man leaned over. "It's okay, Jethro. The cardiologist is going to want to see you right away."

The man enlisted the help of others and he found himself deposited in the back of a blue sedan. He raised his head again, "Not right. Not my friend."

But all he got from the strangers were sympathetic looks and entreaties to just relax and rest. Gibbs shook his head wildly, but the door slammed shut. The man then got into the front seat and looked back with a smile, "It shouldn't be this easy, Gibbs."

Then the car maneuvered unto the highway and disappeared into a sea of dark colored sedans.

…..

In the hour McGee was at the bar, he drank four glasses of water. It was commensurate to the amount of perspiration he was losing. His shirt stuck to his arms and chest. There had been no sign of Sebastian. As tremendously relieved as he felt, he knew that this was not a confrontation he could avoid forever. He pulled up the laptop again, and searched for any IM's from Sebastian. There was nothing.

He'd ordered food, but it sat before him, untouched. Around the room, he recognized no one, but any time someone moved in his direction, he tensed. Still, nothing happened, and he was just the weird guy in the bar who looked like he'd just run 6 miles in his work clothes.

Finally, the burn phone rang and he jumped. He took a breath and then answered. "_McGee, this is Fornell. This is a non-starter. Clearly, he wanted to see if we would follow you_."

"Do you think he made you?"

"_No way to tell. Has Jethro called you?"_

McGee furrowed his brows. "I haven't heard from the boss. Anything wrong?"

"_No. It's time to pack up now. Tony will follow you back to the hotel._"

"I could wait another hour."

"_Nah. You aren't pulling it off. You're like a deer caught in headlights. The agents inside say it looks like you're about to have a coronary event with all your perspiring_. _The wait staff is actually worried about yo_u."

Tim winced. More evidence that he didn't have any ability to pull off undercover. He threw $30 dollars on the table and picked up his coat. He would back to the hotel now where Tony was going to go stir crazy and Ziva was going to cuddle up with him like she was comforting her little sister.

….

Tony had been parked halfway down the block when his phone rang. He pressed it to his ear. "What Fornell?"

"_Have you talked to Jethro_?"

Tony frowned. "No. I thought he was with you."

"_He left ahead of me. He hasn't answered his phone since he left_."

"I haven't seen him."

"_A car looking like Gibbs' was in an accident right before the highway. His car is ubiquitous. One out of four cars fits his description. I'm sure it's a coincidence. I sent two cars back to check on it."_

"You think the boss had an accident?"

"_I'm sure it's nothing. I just, ah…he should be answering his phone_."

"I can go look myself."

"_You need to follow McGee, DiNozzo. Stay on plan_."

"Sebastian set us up today."

"_Yup."_

"He could follow us back to the hotel."

"_Exactly. Pack up and get McGee back to NCIS within the next two hours. Mission failed."_

"What about Boss? Maybe McGee and I should swing by that accident and make sure it's not him."

"_Stick to the plan. I'll call you when I know more."_

Fornell hung up and Tony was left with a really bad feeling in his gut.

….

McGee was about to get on the highway when the voice that haunted him erupted.

"_Timmy!"_

McGee looked around wildly but he was alone in the car.

"_I put a bug in your car, silly. This way we can talk."_

Tim shuddered, "Where are you?"

"_I'm with a friend of yours."_

"No. Everyone's safe." The fear in McGee's chest was ready to explode.

"_Gibbs had a little car accident. Really, the only way to get near him was to damage him first. But, with the help of some nice strangers, I was able to get him in my car."_

He shook his head. "It's not possible."

"_Pick up your burn phone, Timmy. Call your boss. When he doesn't answer, call DiNozzo and ask him about it. I'll be listening to every word you say. You're the only one that can save him at this point."_

Tim's eyes burned as he waited for Gibbs to answer. The phone rang continually. Mouth dry, he dialed Tony. "Hey Tony. Have you heard from the boss?"

"_You haven't heard from him either then. That's freaky. I wonder if Fornell is right_."

"I don't understand. What's going on?"

"_No one has heard from him. Fornell thinks he got into an accident on the way to the meet. He sent some agents back to check. Weird, huh?"_

McGee rubbed at the combination of sweat and tears on his face.

"_McGee? You okay?"_

"I'm worried about the Boss."

"_Don't do that, Tim. He's going to be fine. He might have dropped the damn burn phone. Lord knows he's destroyed enough phones in his time. The plan is for us to go back to the hotel, pack up, and meet back at NCIS."_

"We're not going to try again?"

"_I don't know, but this whole thing feels hinky_."

"How far back are you?"

"_I lost track of you in rush hour traffic, but I should only be about five minutes behind. Don't worry. Okay?"_

"I won't. See you there." McGee hung up the phone. He waited for Sebastian.

"_You need to turn off here, Timmy. We're getting off the highway. I want you to meet up with me and your beloved Gibbs."_

"Don't hurt him!"

"_He's already hurt plenty from the accident. The quicker you get here, the better for him."_

McGee breathed out slowly. "Give me directions."

…..

"Ziva, how close are you to the hotel?"

"_I just got here_."

"Is McGee there yet?"

"_Nope. Nobody. Have you talked to Gibbs?"_

Tony grimaced. "Something is off, Ziva. Boss isn't answering and Fornell's worried he was in an accident. Our orders are to pack up and get back to NCIS."

Ziva processed this. "_We were set up. Where's McGee_?"

"He should be there any minute. I got stuck in traffic. I'm just a few minutes behind."

"_I don't like it, Tony_."

"Get the things out of the hotel. I'm calling McGee again."

….

The burn phone rang again.

"_Who is it?"_ barked Sebastian.

"It's Tony again. His instincts are amazing. I'm sure he knows something is off."

"_Don't answer it."_

"Whatever you say." McGee's mouth was completely dry. Articulating his words was becoming difficult.

…..

Tony waited until Fornell picked up. "It's wrong, it's all wrong. McGee isn't answering his phone now."

"_It was Gibbs' car in the accident. It was a bad one too. Paramedics and firefighters got there, but witnesses say that some bald, fat man convinced people to help get Gibbs in his car. Said he was a friend. Wasn't going to wait for the ambulance because his friend had a heart condition. They say that Gibbs was in and out of consciousness. An SUV hit the driver side hard."_

"Oh God! Sebastian grabbed Gibbs. He's gotta' be in communication with Tim. McGee is going to trade himself for the boss. We need to start tracking McGee."

"_Can you pull up coordinates on your screen?"_

"Not and drive like a maniac at the same time."

"_We're going to feed coordinates to you and Ziva. I'll put a BOLO out on his car. We'll get him, DiNozzo. It'll be okay."_

Tony got off the phone and slammed his hand into the steering column. Nothing was going to be okay. He could feel it.

….

McGee drove with directions from Sebastian for about an hour. He found himself going through one small town after another. Each mile put him further and further from the safety of his team. Every few minutes, Sebastian would give him terse driving directions. McGee knew he was driving to his death. He feared it greatly, but he knew that Gibbs would die if he didn't get there fast. Saving Gibbs would give some meaning to his own death. The man had taught him so much, and had cared about him, and had treated like a member of his family. It meant so much to Tim. A man of Gibbs' caliber had nurtured and believed in him. It had been the proudest part of McGee's life that he was on Leroy Jethro Gibbs' team.

Briefly, he flashed on memories of his own father. He wished that his dad had been able to understand how important his work was. The last time Dad was in town, McGee had offered to bring him into NCIS, and his father had shown actual interest until he'd questioned his son more closely and decided that McGee was nothing more than a glorified tech for an investigative team. McGee tried to correct him, but he knew that his father would see his small cubicle and be disappointed. He didn't press. He didn't contradict his father's conclusions and left it at that.

"_Go left here. Take a right at Main Street. Stop when you see Smith's Auto Body. You'll find us there."_

Tim turned off into one of the countless bedroom communities surrounding D.C. The main drag wasn't showing much activity. There were a few vehicles, one of them being a red Pontiac Grand Am, but no one looked like police. He turned again and drove slowly until he spotted Smith's Auto Body. He drove around back. It was dark save one streetlight. He saw a car parked with the front door open and noticed a body on the ground beside it. He stopped his car about ten feet away, leaving the headlights on. He couldn't get a good look at the man as he was tied at his hands and feet, a big strip of duct tape across his mouth. Then his eyes focused enough to see the silver hair and his heart jumped. He got out of the car and started toward him.

A gun pointed at him from open door. "That's close enough, Timmy. Put your gun on the ground and slid it toward the car."

Tim halted. "Is he okay?"

"He matters that much to you? I thought you cared about me. Slide the gun toward me."

"He's my boss." Tim knew as he said that it would sound meaningless to most people, but he looked at Gibbs and knew the Marine would understand him perfectly. He put the gun down and kicked it at the car. A man dressed in black scooped it up and settled back into the darkness of the car.

Gibbs was tied, but he was awake and struggling. McGee could see the distress in his eyes, and figured it was a combination of his injuries and the situation they were in. If his mouth were free, McGee knew Gibbs would tell him to run, but he couldn't do that, and was relieved he didn't have to argue about it.

"Are you ready to come with me?"

McGee shook his head. "Not until I'm sure the boss is going to be okay. We should call for an ambulance."

Sebastian swung his gun hitting Gibbs on the thigh. "Stop it, Timmy! You are not in charge! You dictate nothing to me!"

"There's no point in coming with you if you kill him."

"Smart boy." The gun cocked. "I will shoot him in the head now."

McGee put out a hand. "Don't!"

"He dies if you don't do exactly what I say."

McGee nodded. "Tell me."

Gibbs grew agitated, shaking his head vigorously.

Sebastian threw something at him. Tim picked it up. It was an Exacto knife. He looked puzzled.

"I know you have 3 GPS devices implanted. You need to cut them out before you come with me."

McGee shook his head. "Not true. There was no time to implant anything."

Sebastian whacked Gibbs again with his gun. "We don't have time! Do you want him to live?"

"Yes."

"I know that three were implanted. I am not guessing. I know. In five minutes, I am going to shoot him in the head. The only thing that can save him is if you remove all three implants."

"I, uh…I don't know what…"

"Your time starts now!"

McGee's legs felt ready to fold beneath him, but he took a breath and reached behind his ear. He knew where it was. It had ached in that spot since Ducky implanted it. He pressed behind his ear with the Exacto knife and broke skin, but couldn't find anything. He knew he had to cut deeper. He took a breath, and sliced with the knife. The pain was electric and he yelped. Warm blood poured out. He reached in and rooted around. Finally he felt the small cylinder. He pulled it out and showed it to Sebastian.

"You wasted almost three minutes on one device. Gibbs only has two minutes left."

McGee jerked at the information. He pulled off his shirt and reached under his armpit. This time he didn't hesitate. He sliced again. When he couldn't reach anything immediately, he cut a second time and then a third, screaming each time he cut. The device dropped to the concrete, but Tim didn't stop. He pulled down his pants and reached behind his right knee. It took another three slices, and the searing pain told him he probably severed a tendon. Then he grabbed hold of the last one and dropped it on the ground where Sebastian could see it. He was breathing hard, blood running down his body in small rivers.

"I just need a moment to admire this."

Tim shuddered. As bad as it was, this was only the beginning. He pulled up his pants and put his shirt on. He heard Gibbs groaning, and he locked eyes with his boss one last time. He could see his boss was upset. He couldn't talk, but McGee could read everything in his eyes. Boss didn't want his sacrifice. He wanted to be the one. McGee could understand this, but he also knew how much the tough Marine meant to so many people. He had seen, first hand, the tremendous asset Gibbs was to the Navy and all the families who lost loved ones to criminal circumstances. McGee knew he was replaceable, but he doubted that Gibbs ever would be.

McGee teared up. "Sorry Boss. I know you don't want this, but I can't live with myself if I let something happen to you. So it's a lose/lose situation for me. Tony or Ziva would do something remarkable right now, but all I got is who I am. I wish I knew another way."

Gibbs' steely blue eyes stared at him. McGee knew he was telling him something important, but it was too much to interpret. Mostly, his boss' eyes looked tremendously sad and McGee looked away. He realized he was deepening the already bottomless well of grief inside Gibbs, and it cut to know that this would be the consequence of his actions.

"Have you said your good-byes? We don't have any more time. I'm going to give you a shot and you're going to get in the backseat."

Tim dropped his head and extended his arm for Sebastian.

…

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I've almost given up on this story but I want to see how it should end. I don't have much in the way of readers which is sad because I think the story is pretty good. If you are reading, let me know so I can stay inspired. I want to thank the ones who keep cheering me on like Gunner's Dream, Junee, Precious Pup, Reject S.B.A, and Crocadile 1986. I appreciate the continued support. Thanks, Sheila

Uncommon Minds

Chapter 6

Tony stopped only long enough to pick up Ziva. She ran the GPS and they tracked McGee leaving the county and going east. Fornell was calling every ten minutes. He hadn't alerted the state patrol or local LEO's. It had been a calculated decision. If they followed Tim until he stopped, there was a chance that they would find both him and Gibbs. It was a gamble that the three of them decided to take.

Tony was still several minutes behind McGee, but he was driving as hard as he could. He felt the tension in Ziva, and knew she would reach over and wrench the steering wheel from his grip if she thought they could survive it at this speed.

…..

Fornell was part of a three-car caravan some 20 miles behind Tony. He sat in the front passenger seat, and made pointed comments to the driver about his skills behind the wheel. He knew this only served to make his agent nervous, but he had no other outlet for his own anxiety.

Gibbs was his friend, and his adrenaline grew from that connection, but there was something about McGee as well. He'd always liked the young agent. He was certainly polite, eager, and efficient. But more than that, he could see that McGee had an uncommon mind. The kid could've hack his way into the World Bank on whatever day he chose, then retired to a South Seas island, and nobody would've been be able to prove a thing. But instead, he ran himself ragged for the toughest Marine around on a schedule that was more than punishing, and he seemed to love every minute.

Fornell had seen Tony tease him mercilessly, but it never drove the kid away. Instead, he latched onto Tony as the big brother he never got to have. The times he saw Ziva at her softest was often when she was interacting with the young agent. Gibbs' team had the composition of a family. Chemistry like that couldn't be created; it had to grow out of something genuine. Tobias admired it. At times, he envied it. He himself had it with a team only once and that had been years ago. These days he contented himself as a boss to his own team and an uncle to Gibbs'.

Fornell checked his watch and realized that he hadn't talked to Ziva in twelve minutes and grabbed his burn phone. He knew they would know nothing new, but it was the one thing he could right now and so he did it.

…

Tim was overwhelmed. He had condemned himself to be Sebastian's victim since the moment he saw Abby and Sarah slumped on the floor. There wasn't any other endgame that was conceivable to him.

Now, here he was behind an abandoned gas station where his boss, Gibbs, was hogtied on the ground, and Sebastian was waiting for him to follow through on his promise. Blood dripped from his neck and his arm where he'd dug in to his own skin with an Exacto blade to remove the GPS implants. The cuts he made behind his knee were the most painful, and he had to balance carefully to keep the leg from folding up on him. The arm he extended was slick with his blood, his fingers sticky with it.

Still, Timothy McGee had no intention of begging for his freedom online to his horrified team. He may have run out of options, but he could still write his own ending. That what Gibbs would do, and if his boss had to watch this, he would see his junior agent go out fighting.

Sebastian grabbed McGee's forearm and prepared to inject the drug, but Tim twisted his arm and swung his other fist into Sebastian's face. Sebastian fell back and the syringe flew out of his hand, but he still held the gun and he pointed it straight at Tim and fired.

…

"His GPS hasn't moved in ten minutes."

Fornell sighed. "How quickly can you be there?"

Ziva looked at Tony. "It will take us less ten minutes to get there."

"We're five minutes behind you."

Tony shook his head at Ziva and she nodded, "We know you're going to suggest we wait for you and we go in together. Better coordination. Safer. Plus, you're the lead agent. But it is not going to happen that way, Fornell."

Fornell smiled slightly. "I had to suggest it. It's procedure."

"We'll see you in a few minutes then." Ziva hung up.

Fornell closed his eyes. When he opened them, his driver had dropped below 80 mph. Fornell cursed and slapped him on the shoulder.

…..

The bullet ripped through his chest on the upper right side. He wheeled around and landed against the car. He grabbed a door handle, stopping his slide to the ground. Sebastian watched with a perverse detachment, and Tim almost smiled. For the first time in a week, his head was clear. He was no longer the man's emotional prisoner. He was choosing his own destiny. Launching off the door handle, McGee lowered his head and plowed into Sebastian's midsection.

The two of them fell to the ground hard. When Tim hit the dirt, the impact took his breath, and his vision dimmed. Sebastian scrambled out from under him and stood up. Fighting for consciousness, Tim rolled onto his knees and tried to rise. At this point, he was defenseless and resigned to the bullet that was sure to rip through him momentarily.

Instead, he heard the sound of boots running on gravel. He crawled over to the car, and climbed up to the door handle again. He could see Sebastian's figure disappear into the trees behind the gas station. There was moaning on the ground, and Tim jerked his head to find Gibbs squirming on the ground. Tim lurched toward him and collapsed on the ground beside him. With studied patience, he searched for the corner of the duct tape and pulled it off Gibbs' face.

Gibbs yelped and Tim frowned down at him in concern. "You okay, Boss?"

"You need to lay down, McGee. You're bleeding everywhere."

Tim blinked and looked off in the darkness. "He ran off."

"Back up is coming. You need to just rest now."

Tim rose up slowly. His left knee felt oddly loose, but he could stand. He remembered the Exacto knife still in his hand. He looked down at it, and then focused on where Sebastian disappeared. He shook his head, "You'll be okay, Boss. I need a minute. I can't let him get away."

Gibbs strained at his ropes. "You're in shock, and you're losing blood. You have to listen to me!"

"I'll get right on it, Boss, but first, I have a thing." Tim nodded at him, but then went loping off into the darkness with only a carpet knife for his weapon.

Gibbs yelled his frustration into the cool night air.

…..

McGee's head was swimming, but his arms and legs still had the energy to move and so he did. Leaving Sebastian alive only ensured an ongoing threat to himself and the people he loved. It couldn't be put off until later. He sensed nothing of Sebastian and realized a good agent needed direction. He grabbed a tree trunk and held on. Slowing his breathing, he listened. He could hear movement, leaves rustling, to his left. He pushed off the tree and went in that direction.

…..

Tony braked the car hard. Ziva was already armed, the passenger door opened. Before she bailed, Tony grabbed her arm. "We go together!"

Ziva nodded and slowed enough so that Tony could pull his piece. Together, they rounded the back of the building. There was Tim's car and another car, door open. On the ground, there were dark patches in the gravel, illuminated by a single light shining off the old building. They moved a few steps and found their first body. This body was very much awake and wrestling with his restraints.

"Boss!"

"McGee! Go after McGee!"

Tony and Ziva waved their weapons slowly around the parameter. "Where is he, Boss?"

Gibbs nodded towards the wooded area. "He followed Sebastian. Sebastian's armed and Tim's got a bullet in his chest and nothing for protection but a carpet knife."

Ziva kneeled in front of him. "You have injuries, Gibbs."

"I'm going to be okay! Get after him!"

Tony hesitated. "Ziva, you stay with the boss. I'm going after McGee."

Ziva protested, but Tony turned and ran into the darkness.

….

Tim heard a thud in front of him. What little light there was, came from a half moon in a clear sky. Tim pushed through to a clearing and saw Sebastian in the grass. The older man had stumbled. He turned and saw McGee. He pulled out his gun and started firing. McGee was no longer worried about bullets or serial killers. He lurched toward Sebastian despite the gunfire. The man screamed when Tim fell on him. The gun Sebastian was shooting no longer had bullets. All McGee had was the Exacto knife and he drove it into Sebastian's chest over and over.

…..

Gibbs heard the gunshots and jerked forward. Ziva had just finished sawing through the ropes on his hands and she cursed. "I almost cut you!"

His hands free, he pushed at her. "Go! Go! Help them!"

She looked him in the eyes. "You're okay?"

"I will live!"

She nodded, grabbed her gun, and ran off.

Gibbs winced at the pain flooding through his gut. It was the first moment he'd allowed himself to acknowledge it. He lay over on his side and waited.

….

Tony ran toward the gunshots, discarding all manner of protocol. The gunfire stopped, but Tony kept running. He busted into the clearing and saw McGee lying next to an older man. Both of them were bloody; the older man in the chest and McGee seemed to be bleeding from everywhere.

Tony stopped, his firearm falling to his side. "Oh, Tim."

He spotted the gun on the ground and kicked it deep into the grass. Then he knelt beside McGee. "Probie?"

McGee's green eyes blinked. "Is he dead?"

Tony turned and looked at Sebastian. He grabbed the man's wrist. "Pulse is weak but he's still breathing."

Tim attempted to jerk upward. Tony caught and pushed him back into the grass. "You're not going anywhere."

McGee's eyes watered. "He has to die, Tony. Please understand. He has to die."

Tony nodded. "I'm in full agreement, but we've gone as far we can with it."

"If he gets better, it will start all over again. He's too smart. He'll escape. If he lives, I'll never be okay. None of us will be."

Tony closed his eyes. "Tim, we gotta' remember what separates us from scum like him."

Tim tried to roll to his side, but groaned deeply. Tony grabbed his shoulders. "Come on. I swear to God, Probie, you're bleeding everywhere. Stop moving. Please, don't fight me."

Tony heard rustling in the woods and turned to find Ziva running toward them. She stopped short when she saw Tim, shock spreading across her face. "Ziva! He needs help! You have to go and bring help! Please! Hurry!"

She barely hesitated before turning on her heels and running back into the trees.

Tony turned back to McGee. Tim's breathing was shallow and fast now and his head rolled to one side. DiNozzo put a hand on his cheek and stroked it softly. "Come on, Tim. I need you. Ziva needs you. Abby, Sarah, Boss…we all need you. Come on. You got this far…stay with me, Probie."

…..

Fornell had an arm on Gibbs' shoulder. "You gotta' just relax, Jethro. I got an ambulance two minutes out."

Gibbs shook his head. "That one's for Tim. He's bad, Tobias."

Fornell nodded. His agents stood by, but didn't give chase. The last thing anyone needed was more people with guns bumping into each other in the night. "The boy went after him, huh?"

"He's not a boy anymore. I don't know four people who would've done what he did."

The sirens sounded in the distance. "It's going to be okay, Jethro."

Shouting erupted and guns were pulled as Ziva burst back into the yard. She stopped and her hair was loose and wild. "We have one suspect down and one agent down! We need EMT's now.

Gibbs pushed Fornell away. The FBI agent got to his feet and started pointing. "I want a team of four to follow agent David back into the brush when the EMT's get here!"

The ambulance blew into the yard and Fornell pointed at it and yelled.

…..

Tony sat with Gibbs in the second ambulance. Ziva had looked so teary and lost that Tony pushed her into the first ambulance with McGee. The IV was swinging next to his face and he folded his shaky hands and watched while the EMT stabilized Gibbs.

Tony chewed his lip for a moment. "He was bleeding everywhere, Boss, but he only took one bullet. I don't get it."

Gibbs turned bloodshot eyes to him. "Sebastian made him remove the GPS implants with a carpet knife. He knew about all three of them. McGee had to do it himself."

Tony grimaced. "Damn!"

"Did he talk to you?"

Tony nodded. "He was upset because he hadn't killed Sebastian. Felt like it wasn't finished until he did."

Gibbs looked at the EMT silently working and turned back to Tony. "You should have let him."

Tony shook his head. "McGee isn't built for that."

"I know."

"He better be okay, Boss."

Gibbs' eyelids closed before he could respond. Tony sighed and the knot in his gut grew. He wasn't built for losing the people he loved. He squeezed his boss' hand tightly and prayed.

….

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: People really came out of the woodwork last chapter, and I am terribly grateful. This is the angsty hospital chapter. I hope the caring I see within this team shows through here. Thanks for your support. I hope to hear more from you. Spoiler for season 8 episode, False Witness. Sheila

Uncommon Minds

Chapter 7

Ziva splashed water on her face and tried to settle her breathing. She'd ducked into the bathroom she found when they pushed her out of the trauma bay in the ER. They needed room to work, and for once, Ziva was in a place where she could offer no assistance. She knew the team would be gathering in the waiting room, but she couldn't face them. Abby would be needy, and Ziva got just the opposite when she was under great stress. She became stoic and withdrawn; a state of emotion that left people thinking she was cold and unfeeling.

Ziva looked into the mirror. Her dark eyes were puffy and red. There was no hiding the evidence. She was definitely a human being. More precisely, she was a former Mossad assassin fearing the loss of her second Ari. It was the first she'd admitted it to herself. She lost Ari right before she joined the team. Part of her grief process was finding new family, and with that came a new brother. Tim McGee fit the bill perfectly. He was who she had always wanted Ari to be: sweet, sensitive, and caring.

Eight months ago, she talked to him about the sense of community she found lacking in the U.S.A. In Jerusalem, people were out on the streets all the time, talking and eating in cafes and coffeehouses. Americans didn't connect like that. They had to have a reason to interact. After sharing this with him, he started calling her to join when he did his writing at coffee shops. She came whenever she could and brought books. Sometimes, it was quiet and she read, sometimes he would forget his writing and they would talk, and sometimes she would get curious about someone who came in and meet new people. Recently, she'd found a new running partner and two weeks ago, a new couple convinced her to start coming to their synagogue. Ziva found herself unnaturally shy about it, and had planned to ask McGee to go with her the first time.

In the ambulance, he'd seized. EMTs said it was probably due to blood loss. Ziva gripped his hand and held on while his body flailed. Tears came and she tried to hide them from the men working on McGee, but it didn't matter because they were too busy trying to stabilize him to pay any attention.

She started whispering Hebrew prayers under her breath in between sobs. She needed this Ari to stay with her as she navigated the humanity she'd so craved. He was the safest of her guides. She took a deep breath, but the exhale was still filled with emotion. Abby would appreciate this, but Ziva wasn't sure what to do with this person she was becoming.

There was a light knock on the door and she rubbed at her face once more. She opened it and Tony was there. He gently pushed her back inside, following. He wrapped his arms around her and rocked the two of them. "It's okay, Ziva. Let it out. We'll take all the time you need."

She buried her face in his chest and let the tears fall unhindered.

….

Ziva would have been surprised by Abby. She sat in the waiting room with red-rimmed eyes, but her focus was on Sarah who shivered in her arms. She kissed the top of her head and reassured her with promises she didn't believe herself.

There was no Gibbs for comfort. Ducky was in with him while they did tests. She didn't fight with him. Gibbs would need Ducky right now. Abby couldn't unleash all of her fears like she was so accustomed to doing.

She just stroked Sarah's hair and thought about her sweet McGee. She thought about his eagerness to please, his sensitive nature, his brilliance, and his complet acceptance of her. He was the one. That annoying Petty Officer, Jerry Neisler, had seen it and it made her cheeks burn. She loved him deeply, but she didn't know if it was enough. Abby had no history contenting herself with the stability of a man like McGee. She wasn't sure she had any appetite for it.

…

Ducky sat with Gibbs through his MRI and CAT scans. There were two broken ribs, a cracked fibula, and a badly bruised spleen. There was some evidence of internal bleeding, and the doctors were conferring about surgery or stabilizing him for 24 hours. Ducky hoped for the latter. Gibbs had a strong constitution, and he had faith in Jethro's ability to rejuvenate.

Gibbs narrowed his eyes at him. "I told you to go be with McGee."

Ducky sighed. "Yes, repeatedly, and I have tried, but he is still in trauma and they won't let me near him."

"Did they tell you about the GPS implants?"

Ducky frowned. "No, but I don't see how they would impact his bullet wound. Are you worried about infection? I can assure you that—"

Gibbs stopped him. "They're gone. Sebastian made him remove them himself with a carpet knife."

"Oh dear!"

"It was…bad. I watched. He had to stab himself eight times to find them all."

Ducky shook his head. "Poor boy! I'm so sorry, Jethro. I didn't know."

"We have a mole in the building. Sebastian knew there were exactly three."

Ducky reddened. "And we'll find that Quisling and show him a thing or two!"

Gibbs smiled. "That we'll do, Ducky."

The two of them sat in silence for a moment. Then Gibbs put a hand on his arm. "Duck, I'll feel better if you're with him."

Ducky nodded vigorously. "Of course, Jethro. I'll do what I can."

Gibbs closed his eyes as Ducky hurried out the door.

…..

Abby looked up at Ziva and Tony. She let go of Sarah enough to get a hug from Tony. It surprised her when Ziva grabbed her and hugged her fiercely as well. Abby held on for dear life.

Tony wasn't being Gibbs. They liked to call it that when he was in charge, but he wasn't copying anyone. He was being the highly efficient agent he could be at times of great stress. These were his people as much as Gibbs'. He would do anything he had to in order to protect them. He nodded at Ziva and wandered down the hall with his cell planted on his ear. "Fornell?"

"How are they?"

"We don't know anything yet."

"Sebastian is arriving in a few minutes. He's still holding on."

Tony sighed. "I hate to have him in the same hospital."

"It's Bethesda, Tony. He's an NCIS/FBI prisoner. Where else will they put up with all the guards and agents? We need him close."

"Yeah. Gibbs tell you about the mole?"

"I pulled the head of Cybercrimes out of his bed about ten minutes ago. I've isolated 36 NCIS and FBI who might have heard the details of what we were doing. We're going to have to search through email and phone records. It'll take awhile. Helpful if McGee was here. The elf lord is pretty handy at a time like this."

Tony hesitated. Elf lord was a name copyrighted by Gibbs. He wasn't sure Fornell had a right. He'd never warmed to the agent the way the rest had; too much unfinished business between the two of them. He swallowed an insult. "Fornell, we know that Sebastian doesn't have willing accomplices. What do you wanna' bet there is someone among those 36 who can't find a family member."

"Damn! That's good, Tony."

"I'll be right there."

"DiNozzo, stay right where you are. Seriously. I'll call you every 30 minutes. Your team needs you."

Tony looked back at Ziva and Abby comforting Sarah. They did need him.

…..

"Gibbs is starting to stabilize. They're going to hold off on surgery for now. Hopefully, his blood pressure will have stabilized completely by tomorrow. I have full faith that our rugged Marine is going to be on the mend."

Tony grabbed him around the shoulders and hugged him. "Good news, Duck!"

Arm still draped over his shoulder, Tony squeezed. "You're on a roll. Tell us more good news."

Ducky winced. "They are trying to stabilize Tim. He lost a great deal of blood and he needs surgery. Bullet is buried a couple of inches above his heart. Right now, he's getting blood tranfusions and IVs. When his vitals stabilize, they'll have to go after the bullet."

"Okay, what's does that mean?" Tony removed his arm.

"It means that Tim is on a very difficult journey right now. He's going to need our good wishes and prayers."

Abby stood. "Is he going to make it, Ducky?"

"I don't know, my dear. He's in very serious condition right now."

"Can we see him?" Abby sounded like a little girl.

Ducky strode forward and folded her in his arms. "I'm sorry, Abigail. There's no room for us in there right now."

Sarah looked up. "He should know that we're here. I want to tell him I love him."

He sat with her and took her hands. "He knows it, Sarah. I promise you."

Tony rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Is it possible that…uh, we could see Gibbs? I mean, I was with him in the ambulance, but maybe Abby, Ziva. What about you, Sarah? You should let the boss tell you how remarkable he was today."

Duck nodded. "I think we can arrange that."

…

Gibbs needed to see them. Lying there, just waiting, was more than a man like him could tolerate. He wasn't built to comfort people emotionally. Three of his wives could attest to that, but they needed him now and he wanted to do his best for them.

Sarah sat with him first. He could see how lost the girl was and he held her hand. "Sarah, you need to call your mom and dad."

"I haven't talked to them in a year."

"Family is precious. And every family screws up. I promise you. Your father is not perfect, but he needs to know about his son. I appreciate your intentions to protect Tim, but he needs his dad."

"I'm scared, Agent Gibbs."

"We're going to take care of you, Sarah. Don't worry. If you have trouble with the phone call, Ducky will help."

"I can do the call. I just can't imagine life without Tim. We've close since I was little. He was quite a bit older, but he was always there for me, watching after me, protecting me. I've always had the temper. I can't tell you how many times he's gotten me out of trouble."

"Listen to me! We're not there yet. This is a time for positive thoughts. He's very strong. He took out Sebastian and I watched it. He was amazing. I'm not giving up on him. You hear me, Sarah?"

She nodded, her dark eyes soft and sad. "I won't give up on him."

"Good girl." Gibbs saw Abby lurking in the shadows. "Go sit with Ducky, Honey. I need a few minutes with my favorite forensic scientist."

Abby had her face buried in his neck before Sarah got out the door. "Tell me you're going to be okay, Gibbs. Promise me."

"I'm going to be okay, Abs," he whispered into her hair.

"And Timmy? Promise me that he's going to make it."

Gibbs sighed. "Can't do it, Abs. I believe he can do it, but I can't make guarantees."

She pulled away and looked at him quizzically. "You always have before."

"I don't want to tell you fairytales anymore. You'll know the truth when I do."

"It's time, isn't it? I'm not a kid anymore."

"It's time."

She looked down at him. "Do you know how much I love him?"

Gibbs sighed. "He's not a boy with a crush, Abs. He's a man and deserves a woman who can love him like a man."

She blinked her wide green eyes and bit her lip. "What are you saying?"

"Abby, I want you to think about it. Can you do that for me?"

She nodded. "I can, Gibbs. I can do that."

"You gotta' be strong for him. He needs that right now."

She kissed him on the cheek. "I'm going to call in all the good spirits. Do you think they would mind if I lit candles in the waiting room?"

He grinned. "I guess you'll find out, Abs."

…..

They had Sebastian in the same trauma bay as McGee. DiNozzo didn't like it, and he put all of his verbals and non-verbals into expressing this opinion. The agents Fornell sent to cover Sebastian tried to eject him a couple of times, but Tony made it very clear that he wasn't going anywhere while McGee was in the same trauma bay. Things had quieted on that side of the room, and Tony peeked through the curtain. McGee was hooked up to a host of different machines. Tubes seemed to extend from every part of his body. There was only a single nurse monitoring him now. She looked up and spotted him peering in. He expected a sour look, but instead she beckoned to him.

"You're his friend?"

Tony nodded.

"You shouldn't be here, technically. His status is very delicate, but I guess I always believe that patients do better when they know someone who cares is with them."

Tony approached slowly. "Can I touch him?"

She nodded. "His face is okay. The rest of him is pretty fragile. We're trying to get his blood pressure up so he can make it through a surgery."

"Is it improving?" Tony asked quietly.

"Not as fast as we'd like to see. The bullet is in a bad spot. If it moves into his heart, he could go into cardiac arrest. I don't think we can stabilize him again if that happens. That's why it's important that we keep him so quiet."

McGee's face looked so peaceful. None of the anguish of the last two weeks was showing. Tony's mouth softened. "You're going to be okay, Tim. I can tell. You're not worried anymore. You're finally getting some rest. Sebastian made that impossible for awhile. Of course, if we really want you to sleep, we'll get Ziva in here and have her cuddle up with you again."

The nurse looked up in alarm. Tony smiled. "It's just a little joke."

She sighed in relief and went back to adjusting his IV. Tony leaned over McGee and rested his hand lightly on his cheek. "We're all counting on you, Tim. There's no way this team works without a McGeek. You're irreplaceable. You know that? Tell me that you know that."

A machine started beeping. The nurse looked up. "Blood pressure is finally going up."

"That's good, right?"

She nodded. "If it keeps rising, we can get him in surgery in the next 30 minutes."

Tony swallowed. "Hear that, McMiracle? You're just about ready for surgery. We need you to get over that one last hurdle and then we're all going to be good."

His phone rang. He saw Fornell on the caller ID. "Give me a minute, Tim. I'll be right back."

He hurried out into the hall and slapped it to his ear. "What?"

"What do you know?"

"You're calling me for an update? Come on, man. I was sitting with McGee."

"How is he?"

Tony closed his eyes, willing himself not to blow. "He's not good. He's gotta' go into surgery."

"Jethro?"

Tony sighed. "He's doing okay."

"I didn't call just for updates. We got our mole."

"Really?"

"I have him in interrogation. Wanna' join me?"

"Yeah. I'll be there. Gotta' say a few things to McGee first. I'll be there in half an hour."

He swung back into the trauma bay and headed for McGee's curtain. He pulled it back and found the room empty except for the nurse who'd been so nice to him.

"What happened?"

She looked up. "The cardiologist came and decided that it had to be now or never. His heart is showing stress from the bullet. They took him to surgery."

"Was he ready?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. I'm sorry. He seems like a good man."

Tony's eyes stung. For a moment he couldn't speak. Then he nodded. "Thank you."

He took a deep breath and headed into the waiting room.

…

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: This is a short chapter. I thought I would give Tony a chance to get his anger out in a satisfying way. It sort of works as a stand alone in that I wanted a little break from the angst while McGee was in surgery. Tell me what you think. I love to hear from you. Sheila

Uncommon Minds

Chapter 8

Tony arrived in the bullpen to find it still littered with FBI men. It was not a pretty sight for Tony. He'd had his fill of interagency collaboration especially since he found out that the mole was an FBI agent.

He snarled at them as he passed. "Get out of my chair! Don't touch McGee's computer! Get your damned feet off my boss' desk! You're all a bunch of parasites! Vermin! Going to have to get a frickin' exterminator in here!"

Fornell and Vance were waiting for him. Vance raised an eyebrow, "You're not being a very good host to our guests."

Days without proper sleep and worry wore on his face. "Can't they do some of this crap from their own frickin' building?"

"You forget that we are currently down an entire team. Right now, we need them. There's a whole sweeping up that needs to be done around here. How are agents Gibbs and McGee?"

Tony frowned. "Boss is recovering. McGee's in surgery. It could go either way."

Vance sighed. "Not what I was hoping to hear. I have a great deal of respect for that young man. I'll call my wife. I'm sure she'll want to bring some food for your team."

"As Billy Joel said, 'Only the good die young'."

Fornell let out a breath. "Okay, DiNozzo, I hear you. On behalf of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, I want to apologize for allowing a weak and criminally liable agent to work on this case. The FBI is ineffective and outdated."

Tony shrugged. "True that, but I won't throw stones. NCIS has had its own problems with traitors. I know it's not your fault, but I just cannot muster up any sweetness for you right now. McGee took it all into surgery with him."

"He's confessed. Sebastian has drug evidence that would've put his brother away for 10-20. Damn weak excuse! I could barely stomach being in the same room with him."

"What do you need me for then?"

Vance rubbed his mustache. "Well, he was under duress, and undoubtedly, he wants a trial. He thinks the jury will identify with him. Fornell kicked him around verbally for awhile, but it was pretty unsatisfying. Cho still says that he had no choice."

Tony frowned. "The one with the braid. Was here the first night?"

Fornell sighed. "Yup. Apparently, Sebastian contacted him the next day. Cho says he felt paralyzed. Seeing his own mentor destroyed by Sebastian, he says he was emotionally unable to think clearly. Plus, he didn't believe his brother could survive a prison term. Vance and I figure it's all going to work pretty well with a jury."

"And let's be clear that he wants to take this to a jury," Vance added.

"They'll give him 5 years after the defense gets done putting the jury in Cho's shoes," Tobias said bitterly.

"What do you want from me?"

"You've got a certain interrogation style. Sort of a rogue agent meets psycho thing. As long as you don't touch him, I thought we'd let you have your way for a bit. He's got a lawyer coming, but we have about an hour. We…uh, sent him to the wrong address. We won't be able to do much with him once the lawyer mapquests the right address."

DiNozzo stared at Fornell for a long moment. "I may have underestimated you, Tobias."

Fornell chuckled. "For God sakes, don't touch him. That's all I ask."

…..

Tony stared at Cho from across the table for a good five minutes. The disgraced agent couldn't meet his eyes. DiNozzo leaned forward. "So, you were in a tight spot, Danny?"

"You know how crazy and brilliant he is."

Tony pointed a finger. "About that. I used to think he was brilliant too, but then I come to find out that he just had good intell."

"I already went through this with Fornell. He had evidence against my kid brother. He's nineteen years old. He would never survive in prison. Plus, I had the stress of watching my own mentor disintegrate under the pressure of Sebastian. I know I'm going to jail, but I also know that a jury will see how I was backed into a corner."

"I wish I was a lawyer because I have a story of my own. I would love to tell a jury about a young federal agent who, when faced with a challenge, was unwilling to make the right decision out of his own weakness and fear. That's the story I would want to tell."

Cho shook his head. "That's not the story the jury is going to hear. They are going to identify with me. You know that."

Tony got up. "Danny, you've neglected to look at this from both sides. Let me tell what the prosecutor's going to do. First, he's going to tell a story about a young and promising agent named McGee. He's going to tell the jury about how McGee was sincerity and goodness personified, and your lawyer ain't going to be able to find one bit of evidence to contradict that view. He's going to tell them how hardworking he was and what a great American he was. Then, he'll tell him how McGee stumbled onto an FBI investigation, drawing the interest of a serial killer."

Tony stopped and slammed his palm down on the table. Cho startled in his chair. "Look at me, Danny! Come on, look up at me!"

He waited until the agent peered up at him. "Then we're going to have days of testimony from people like myself, David, Gibbs, and Mallard about how the stress he was under, and how courageously he worked through it in order to stay effective on the case."

DiNozzo took a breath. Cho sat like a statue staring straight ahead. Tony walked into his line of vision and sat down. "Then the prosecutor will talk about how McGee had to go into hiding after his sister and co-worker were attacked. And finally, we'll spend time on the undercover meet that went wrong. The prosecutor will tell about how a decorated Marine was almost killed by a car because you leaked information to Sebastian. He'll talk about how this Marine, seriously injured, was kidnapped. He'll tell about how young agent McGee had to give himself up to a serial killer or lose his boss. Believe me, the prosecutor will spend time on McGee's unending loyalty to the Marine."

Cho's mouth quivered and tears slid down his cheeks.

"This next part will be the hardest for everyone. The prosecutor will talk about how this brave young man offered himself up in exchange for the injured Marine. Then he'll tell about how Sebastian knew about the GPS planted in three different parts of his body. The jury will cringe when they hear about how young McGee had to remove all of the implants with a knife or let his beloved boss be killed."

Tony slammed his pocketknife on the table. "He had to stab himself eight times to find them all. Do you want to know how it feels to stab yourself? Want to feel the blade? Picture stabbing yourself with it." Tony opened it in front of Cho.

Cho pushed the knife away and Tony chuckled. He picked it up and put it back in his jacket. Then he leaned in again. "Only the prosecutor won't show this sharp Navy issue knife as the example. Rather, he'll show an old and battered carpet knife, dull to the touch, and ask the jury to imagine digging around in someone's own flesh. Imagine what that will be like for the jury."

Cho buried his face in his arms and sobbed. Tony resisted the urge to make him sit up straight and look at him. Instead, he moved behind Cho and started talking in his ear. "McGee had no choice at that point. He was bleeding all over and he'd agreed to the exchange. He was destined for Sebastian's horrific internet drama. But McGee thought to himself that he had a choice about how he could die, and so he lunged at Sebastian, and took a bullet in the chest for it. And even with that bullet and unarmed, he chased Sebastian into the darkness until he caught him. That's a compelling story, much more compelling than your pathetic tale."

"I was forced!" Cho yelled, "I was forced!"

Tony stared at him with red eyes. "I wonder if McGee will be there. Will he be able to testify as to his own terror? Or will his grieving teammates have to do it for him? Can you tell me, Danny, 'cause I don't know what the answer to that is? I don't know what's going to happen to my friend!"

"I am so sorry!" sobbed the agent.

Tony leaned in until his face was only a few inches from Cho's. "I want you to take a deal. This should not go to a jury. It will make McGee America's new hero, but he wouldn't want that. He just wants to work and do the best he can to live a decent life."

"I'm not guilty!"

Tony grabbed Cho's face so they were eye to eye. "My best friend is bleeding out in surgery right now, and you're the reason Sebastian found him. If he dies, the charges will be for murder. I can't be there right now 'cause I gotta' be here with the jerk-off who thinks people will understand why he is a traitor. You put my friends through hell, and I can't think of anything more fitting than to send you to hell for it!"

His sobs turned to hiccups. "I'll do it. I'll do whatever you want."

Tony licked his lips and stared into Cho's eyes. "You'll take whatever deal the prosecutor offers. It won't be a good deal, but then you don't deserve a good deal. You don't do this, and I will take my side of the story to every media outlet on the beltway. I will destroy you, Cho!"

He nodded vigorously. "I'll do it! I will! I promise!"

Tony shook his head and left Cho alone and broken. Fornell met him in the hallway. "You messed him up, all right. Just not sure what'll happen once the lawyer shows up."

"I really don't care what happens with him next. I just wanted to break him." Tony growled.

"You're a scary guy."

"I gotta' get back to the hospital."

Fornell nodded. "Got a car downstairs. I thought I would tag along."

"Get your own friends, Fornell."

He chuckled. "I think you're warming up to me, DiNozzo."

….


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: I hope you like this. I am still concentrating on team dynamics, and I am showing lots of caring, but I am also trying not to be OOC with anyone. Please let me know how I did. Sheila

Chapter 9

Uncommon Minds

Gibbs commandeered a wheelchair in the hall outside his room around 0400. A young nurse wanted to argue with him but she was out of her depth. He ignored her and wheeled himself out of the ward in search of the waiting room. The aching in his calf and torso was profound, but he felt out of the loop in that quiet room and he was too worried to sleep. He figured the nurse would ambush him with reinforcements, but he was determined to get some answers before that.

The waiting area was quiet and the lights were dimmed. On a center table were trays of cold cuts, cheese, crackers, and fruit left by Jackie Vance. On one couch, Ziva sat sleeping with both Sarah and Abby resting their heads on either side of her lap. Ducky and Tony lounged in chairs, snoring softly. Fornell sat under the one light reading the newspaper. He looked up at Gibbs' approach.

He chuckled. "They're going to hunt you like a dog, Jethro."

Gibbs grunted. The pain in his torso was growing with each movement. "Do we know anything?"

"No."

"He's been in surgery a long time."

Fornell nodded. Then he peered at Gibbs more closely. "You tore out your IV."

Gibbs frowned. "Nobody was telling me anything."

"Yes, so tearing out your IV was the obvious solution." Fornell looked past Gibbs and saw two nurses hurrying toward them. "The troops have arrived and you are on your own, my friend."

The young nurse, flustered, showed up with an older nurse in tow. She pointed at Gibbs as if there was some question as to the runaway patient. The head nurse folded her arms. "We can't have you running around as you please with your injuries."

"I wanted to check on my agent," Gibbs growled.

"We'll tell you as soon as we know something."

"I'm not leaving until I hear something."

She sighed and signaled the younger nurse to hand her his chart. No one said anything while she scanned the pages. Then she scowled and looked at her nurse. "You didn't tell me he was a former Marine Gunnery Sergeant."

"Sorry Ma'am."

You know better than to argue with a gunny. Have I taught you nothing?'

Fornell watched the scene unfold with a growing fascination.

"She's right, you know. Never argue with a gunny. Toughest breed found anywhere in the military," Gibbs added.

The older nurse stepped forward. "Don't get too cozy there, Gibbs. I'm nurse Gail Partridge, formerly Marine Gunnery Sergeant Partridge, 1st class. I was referring to myself."

Gibbs winced.

She narrowed her eyes. "I don't back down anymore than you do, Gunny."

"I'm worried about my agent."

She nodded. "Surgery went long. The agent, McGee, he been with you long?"

"Since he was a pup."

"Okay, I hear you. You're going to let Simpson here re-insert the IV. Then you can stay here for a little while. Don't think you fool me though. I can see the pain in your face. Hearing news in your room is no different than hearing it here."

"Jethro, I'll come tell you the minute I hear anything," Fornell offered.

Behind them, a door swung open and a surgeon. It was clear that he was as exhausted as anyone else in the room. He looked around, "Are you McGee's people?"

"Yeah."

Fornell nudged Ducky and Tony. Ziva shifted, her eyes popping open. Abby and Sarah sat up, their faces blurry.

Surgeon sighed. "News is a mixed bag. He's in critical condition. Surgery was long and complicated. He arrested twice on the table."

Abby gasped and Ziva put an arm around her neck.

"But I got a feeling about this. Been doing this long enough to know that the patient does as much work in there as I do. McGee is a very young determined man. He kept coming back even when his vitals weren't good. He doesn't like to give up, does he?"

Gibbs smiled. "No, he doesn't."

"That's my probie," Tony said, getting to his feet.

Sarah stood. "Can we see him?"

Surgeon shook his head. "He'll be in recovery until morning. Maybe tomorrow afternoon when he's stabilized."

"I'm his sister. Please. It'll help if he knows I am there."

The surgeon rubbed his forehead. "I shouldn't, but it can help. You won't upset him?"

Sarah shook her head. He extended a hand and she followed him into recovery.

Gibbs looked around the room. "Go home and sleep if you can." Nobody moved.

Then he nodded at Partridge. "I'm ready to go back to my room now."

….

It wasn't a flat screen, but the picture was clear and that's what mattered to him. When Tom Hanks sat down on the bench, Tony waited for the moment and then mouthed, "Life is a box of chocolates" right along with him. He had a pile of feel good classics next to him because that was the mood he was trying to encourage. He heard a noise to his left, and looked over to find Gibbs mumbling in his sleep.

Then there was a groan to his right, and he swung around to see McGee in the other bed. Then he gasped, "His McEyes are open!"

Gibbs' head jerked up and he tried to prop himself up on his elbow. Tony darted from Tim back to Gibbs. "Sorry, Boss, that was not a signal for you to get out of bed. You can't get up."

McGee turned his head, his eyes worried. "Boss? You okay, Boss?"

Tony was still trying to manhandle Gibbs. "You don't settle down, and I will have to call for the Partridge. Come on, Boss, I know how you feel about the Partridge."

"Tony?" McGee was starting to sound agitated.

Gibbs slapped Tony in the shoulder. "Get out of my way so I can see McGee."

Tony bounded over to McGee, careful to stay out of Gibbs' line of sight. "How you doing, Tim?"

"The boss is okay?"

Tony pointed. "See! There he is. They put the two of you in the same room. Boss insisted."

Gibbs raised his head again. "I'm okay, Tim. How about you?"

"Everything hurts."

Gibbs smiled. "Well, it oughta'. You poked enough holes in yourself."

McGee closed his eyes. "Then he shot me. You were tied up on the ground. I was so worried."

Tony sat on his bed and patted his hand. "And then you went all rambo and took out Sebastian."

McGee nodded softly. "I did. I killed him. I remember it but I'm not sorry. I don't feel bad at all. Now he can't hurt anyone anymore."

"Actually Tim, I have a little news for you—"

Gibbs interrupted. "You shouldn't worry about Sebastian. I don't want you to think about him at all. You hear that, Tony?"

"I do."

McGee's eyelids drooped. "I'm so glad it's all over."

Tony nodded. "Don't worry about anything. It's all going to be okay."

McGee faded away again. Tony waited until he had drifted off. Then he looked over at Gibbs. "It kills me that the bastard is still breathing."

Gibbs nodded. "Let's wait until he's stronger before we tell him."

….

Ziva stood at the window, arms folded, and stared into the ICU room holding Sebastian. Fornell had two agents inside with direct orders to stop her if she tried to enter. Sebastian was a man in his 50's, real name, Mitchell Connor. He was out of shape, balding, and ordinary. There was nothing about him that would have ever caused her eyes to hesitate if she saw him on the street.

Fornell had teams searching his home, going through his bank accounts, his internet history, etc… It was no secret that they had him on multiple charges, but they knew that with a man like Sebastian, the surprises were just beginning.

For Ziva, it would be simple. She would go in, unhook the machines, and barricade the door. He would simply die without medical support. It would be a victimless crime. She would do it for Tim. Gibbs had been lying about Sebastian's death for two days now. Tim was awake now and alert. Soon, he would have to know that Sebastian was recovering as well. He could handle it, she was sure of it, but she knew his stress would build again and she badly wanted to protect him from that.

Tony had always smelled a bit like cinnamon. She breathed it in as he came up behind her. It was still a honeymoon of sorts. The whole team was living in the glow of finding Sebastian and McGee's recovery. This Tony wasn't a naughty frat boy; he was all big brother these days. He slipped his arms around her waist and rested his head on her shoulder. It was comforting and she welcomed it. Together, they stared at Sebastian.

"Tim needs to know."

"Gibbs says he has nightmares."

"He'll have nightmares no matter what he knows now. The past is not erased."

He rested against her neck. "I'm so tired."

"Gibbs told me that we're all going to take a break after this. He says he's going to take us fishing. I don't know how to fish. Will I like it?"

Tony sighed. "Yes, you will, but it drives me nuts. I can't stand all that sitting and waiting. Gibbs took me fishing once and ended up pushing me in the lake. I think his breaking point was when I started singing the soundtrack from Grease."

She chuckled. "You will sit on the dock with the beer then. I will be out on the boat as I like to sit quietly."

"Sebastian is irrelevant, you know. He's just a fat man waiting for a jail sentence now."

"I wished I believed that."

"Well, we have to believe that. We've stripped him of all his mystery. We pulled the curtain back on the Great Oz. I don't think he can be powerful anymore."

She covered his arms with hers. "He is like the great Ozzie Osbourne? I do not understand."

"Wizard of Oz, Ziva."

She shrugged.

He laughed. "It'll take awhile to untangle that one. Let's just say that the emperor is wearing no clothes."

She nodded. "That is a reference I can understand."

"When this is all over, I'm gong to have to go back to being difficult and annoying again. You're aware of that, right?"

She smiled. "There is no other way you and I can work together."

….

Gibbs took his pain meds without complaint. The worst had passed and he gave into the exhaustion of the last few weeks. He didn't hear anyone coming in the room, but he woke when the curtain between he and McGee was dragged shut. Sarah peaked her head out and nodded at him, and he relaxed. Tim's parents were here.

He was drifting back into sleep, but the voices of the McGee family kept following him.

"Tim, your mother and I were so worried. I can't believe it took Sarah two days to call us."

"Dad, it took me two days to reach you. I didn't know you finally got a cell phone."

"Sarah, you would if you were talking to us on a regular basis."

"Please, Dad, let's not fight. I'm so glad you and Mom came."

"Of course we would come, Tim. Why wouldn't we come?"

"I didn't mean anything, Dad."

"I don't get how this happened. You're a programmer for NCIS. How do you end up chasing serial killers?"

"I'm a field agent. I've told you that many times."

"You say your specialty is computers. You said that you don't excel in the field. We have talked a thousand times about how you don't operate well under stressful circumstances. You were going to talk to your C.O. about it."

"Dad, leave him alone. You only hear what you want to hear. Tim is a respected field agent for the Navy."

The voice deepened. "I'm not trying to be difficult. We love you, Tim. I'm always thinking of what's best for you."

"I know and I appreciate it." Gibbs could hear the exhaustion in Tim's voice. He sat up.

"You're not built for fieldwork. I've seen you fail over and over when I took you out on the water, at Annapolis, at my old frat… You're the first McGee in 125 years to not go into the Navy. And playing at being a Navy cop doesn't count. I've come to terms with it. You're beating your head against the wall with this need to prove that you're something you're not. I don't need that from you. I used to, but now I know it was wrong to pressure you like that."

"I'm getting tired, Dad. Could we talk more later?"

"You've misunderstood me again. I'm not trying to be hurtful. I've always taught you the importance of being honest with yourself about your potential as well as your limitations."

"You've always wanted the best for me."

"John, he's exhausted. Let him rest."

"How long will the two of you be here?"

"I'm doing consulting work on the U.S.S. Enterprise. They're in the Indian Ocean. I have a window of about 48 hours before I need to leave or lose the ride out to the ship."

"I'm going to be fine, Dad. Really. I know what I'm doing."

"If you knew what you were doing, I wouldn't be getting phone calls in the middle of the night telling me that you're in critical condition."

"I'm sorry about that."

"Don't apologize to him. It's the same old pressure that he's been putting on you for years."

Tim was fading. "Don't fight with him, Sarah. Please. No more fighting."

The curtain opened suddenly, and Gibbs stood there leaning off his bad leg against a chair. Commander McGee turned to look at him. "You're Gibbs. Tim talks about you often."

Gibbs leaned forward and offered a hand. "Nice to meet you, Commander."

"I hope we didn't wake you."

"I got nothing to do here but sleep. Don't worry about it. I wouldn't be disturbing you but I could hear how tired Tim was getting. His doctor is very specific on the need for rest. He's only a few days out of surgery."

The commander raised an eyebrow, and for a moment, Gibbs wondered if the commander was going to tell him to mind his own damn business. Instead, the tall craggy faced man nodded and put his arm around a lovely woman with Tim's eyes. "You're right, Gibbs."

John McGee leaned over and kissed his son on the forehead. His mother did the same. "Your mother and I will be back in the morning."

"Good to see both of you. It's been too long, Dad."

McGee smiled at his son and led his wife out. Sarah scowled but Tim grabbed her hand. "Go with them, Sarah, and don't be so sharp. They're rattled, scared. Don't be so hard on them."

She rolled her eyes and hurried after her mom and dad.

Tim looked up at his boss. "Thanks for not saying anything. It's complicated. My dad really cares, but he's a worrier. He doesn't come off right. He always sounds so critical."

"You would not be out in the field if you weren't one of the best I'd ever seen. Do you understand that?"

Tim smiled. "It's taken a long time for me, Boss, but I do know that now."

Gibbs furrowed his brow. "I don't want to interfere, but you're a lot more confident than when I first met you. I don't want you to lose that. It makes you the man that you are."

"Thanks Boss. I'll keep that in mind."

"Get some rest, Tim."

McGee's eyes were already closing. Gibbs watched him sleep for a few minutes before he hopped back to his own bed.

….

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: McGee's dad mellows here. There's some nice McAbby here too. There is a little more drama coming, but I'll try not to drag it out too long. I see these NFA challenges. How does one get involved with that? And let me know if you are still following this. I hope I haven't lost you. Sheila

Uncommon Minds

Chapter 10

There was a clicking sound near his ear and McGee opened his eyes. Big green eyes and a red, generous mouth were staring back at him. "Abby?"

She smiled wide. "Every time I come to see you, you're asleep, and then the nursing staff or Gibbs makes me leave. I'm not leaving this time."

He furrowed his brow in confusion and then turned his head to see that she had handcuffed herself to his bed. He blinked. "Seems a bit drastic."

"I just want to sit with you for awhile."

He smiled. "You can stay as long as you want, Abs."

She reached over and patted his cheek. "I was so scared. I can't tell you how relieved I am that you're okay."

"Me too."

"You're my hero, Tim."

He chuckled. "Hey, Abs, if your plan is to sit there and smile at me and tell me how great I am all day, I'm all for it."

"There are so many thoughts in my head and feelings in my heart. I feel like I want to have a hundred different conversations with you all at the same time. I don't know what to do."

He shook his head. "No serious conversations yet. We're not at our best right now. I'm not sure either one of us knows what to say."

"Okay Tim, but remember all those times I told you that I loved you?"

"As much as puppies. I remember."

"It turns out that I love you more than puppies. Much more. You should know that is an amazing thing for me to say."

He took her hand. "I love you more than puppies too."

She chewed on her lip. "We'll talk about it more later, right?"

"We will."

She lightly placed her free hand on his chest a few inches below his wound. "Does this hurt?"

He grimaced.

"You're kind of hurt everywhere."

"I'll be okay."

"How was seeing your mom and dad?"

He smiled. "I'm sure Sarah was on the phone telling you all about it."

"Your dad's hard on you."

"He gets worried. It sounds worse than it is."

She frowned. "Sarah says he's so caught up in his expectations of you that he can't seem to see what you've become. You're a grown man, Tim."

"Abby, it's okay. He's scared and worried. He has a daughter who won't talk to him and a son he hasn't seen in three years. He feels like he failed, and he can't come to terms with it. As hard as he is on me, he's harder on himself. He and I are alike in that we both hold ourselves to high expectations."

"You're so forgiving."

"He tries really hard. When he figured out he couldn't mold me into his Navy legacy, he tried to let go of all expectations, but instead he merely grew expectations that I would only be happy if I was the antithesis of Navy. He has yet to find a center. I'm not being clueless, Abby. Seriously. He loves Sarah and I so much but he just can't seem to get it right. It eats him up."

She sighed. "At some point though, you need to set a limit. I mean, really."

"I know."

"You're a very sweet man, Tim McGee."

"They'll be here soon. Do you want to meet them?"

She looked down. "What will your father think about a goth girl handcuffed to your bed?"

Tim puzzled over it. "I don't know. Let's find out."

She bit her lip.

"Abs, are you worried about my parents? You shouldn't. They'll be just fine."

"It's not that. I just remembered that I forgot to get a Caf-Pow before I chained myself here, and I threw the key out the window. I didn't leave anything to chance, but now I'm without provisions."

He laughed. "Only you would throw the key out the window."

She shrugged. "It's okay. Ziva's bringing a metal detector later on to find it in the grass."

Good plan, Abs. But, since you're trapped for right now, let's pretend that's it's a challenge, a trial by fire. You can show me how devoted you are to saving me by being caffeine free for the day."

She smiled. "Like maybe a Hamas military group handcuffed me here, and it's my job to be brave and selfless. I like it."

"And your courage and grace is helping me to hold on until help comes."

"Yes! The nurses will be Islamic fanatics. You have the best ideas, McGee!" She reached over and kissed him on the cheek.

….

Gibbs positioned himself near the elevator. He looked a little conspicuous in his wheelchair, but all he had to do throw people a look and they left him alone. Finally the elevator doors opened, and Commander and Mrs. McGee stepped out. The Commander saw Gibbs and stopped. He leaned over to his wife, "Honey, why don't you go ahead and spend some time with Tim? I need to have a word with the Gunny here."

Gibbs gestured toward the waiting room and the Commander led the way. He paced for a moment, and then decided to sit. "I presume we're going to have a little talk about Tim."

Gibbs nodded. "I would like that."

"I'm too hard on him. I'm controlling. I need to let go so he can live his life."

"I think you want him to be happy."

John McGee looked Gibbs in the eye. "With all due respect, he's my son and I know him a lot better than you do."

Gibbs nodded. "And with all due respect, I have spent the last 7 years with him 60-80 hours a week. I have a perspective."

McGee nodded. "I know. I'm being resistant. I've had seven years of you being touted as the most remarkable man on the planet. It, uh…chafes. But you do know him better than I do now, and I should listen."

Gibbs regarded him for a moment before talking. "Commander, you see a new crop of young officers every year on your ship. Some of them look promising and some just leave you shaking your head and wondering what they were thinking at OTS. Maybe they're nervous, young, or hesitant. It's hard for you to imagine him or her being in command of a box of Jujyfruits, let alone a Navy vessel."

"I know what you're talking about."

"So you spend a year with them and at end, it turns out there were a few surprises. Some couldn't hack it and went home. Some of your rising stars turned out to be duds. And one or two of those who left you shaking your head ended up surprising you."

McGee drew in a deep breath. "I can think of a few instances."

"First time I saw Tim, I thought there was no way he was going to end up anywhere other than in Cybercrimes. He was…so green and nervous and young. But like those new officers that surprise you every once in a great while, your son showed a great deal of heart and determination. Plus, he's brilliant and he'll walk through fire with anyone on my team."

"Okay. I want to know more."

"He's quite good in the field. He watches my back and I trust him completely. This latest case was…one of the worst, and Tim was put in the middle of it. He doesn't just have heart and determination, Commander; he's one of the most courageous men I've ever worked alongside."

The elevator opened again and Director Vance came out with a satchel under his arm.

Gibbs gestured toward him. "Commander McGee, I want to introduce you to NCIS Director, Leon Vance."

The Commander stood up and shook hands with Vance.

Vance nodded. "Commander, I've booked us a conference room down the hall. I know your schedule is tight, but Special Agent Gibbs thought I could read you in a few cases where your son had the greatest impact."

"I would like that."

"Good," Vance smiled. "It would be my pleasure. I'll be right down the hall."

Vance walked away. McGee looked at Gibbs. "You did more in 7 years than I did with him for an entire lifetime."

Gibbs shook his head. "That's dangerous thinking, Commander. He came to me with all the right stuff. That was your work. All he needed was the opportunity to grow."

"I never seem to get it right with him."

"Stop trying so hard, Commander. He knows where he's going. I think he just needs you to listen to him. He's not a confused kid anymore. I have no doubt that his numerous talents could be used anywhere, but this is where he wants to be. Plain and simple."

Commander McGee nodded and then started down the hall. He stopped suddenly and turned around, "He listens to everything you say. I'm more than a little envious of what you have with my son."

"I won't lie. I think of him, like all of my team, as if he was my own, but that doesn't mean he isn't yours as well. We don't need to compete, Commander. There's room for both of us, don't you think?"

"You're asking a Navy officer to share his most prized possession. It's a bit of a stretch, Gunny, but I can tolerate it because I know you'll watch after him."

Gibbs raised a hand. "Commander, one more thing before you go. When you do visit your son this afternoon, you will find a rather unique young woman wearing a spiked collar handcuffed to his bed."

McGee scowled.

"I urge you to not react when you see this. She's very important to him and to me."

A grin crept onto his craggy features. "That must be the elusive Abigail Scuitto. Tim's been talking about her for years. He's been asking me for strategies on winning her heart for some time. Last time we talked, he was working on playing hard to get with her. Maybe, I'm not so out of the loop."

Gibbs' eyebrows went up as the Commander turned and walked away.

…

The commander walked into the hospital room having spent the last two hours being read in on some of his son's cases. It had been both a humbling and a proud experience for him. His nervous, sensitive son, who'd grown up collecting phobias and anxieties like they were baseball cards, had grown into a talented federal agent. It amazed him that he hadn't taken the time to really pay attention.

The room was quiet. His wife was out in the waiting room talking to Sarah. His baby-faced son was quietly sleeping. A raven-haired woman was resting her head against his side, her arm handcuffed to the railing. It looked so peaceful. John McGee had no context for understanding why the woman wore such clothing, but he knew that his son loved to talk about her.

He sighed deeply. There was no need to wake the boy. There was too much to say and he didn't possess adequate language for it all. Staying in D.C. right now would be helpful to no one. He needed to digest this new thinking about his only son. Commander McGee decided he would start with a letter, and then he would concentrate on listening to Tim when he called. His wife, Becky, had been telling him this same thing for years.

He was ready to turn and go when the raven pigtails popped up. Amazing green eyes turned in his direction and an equally amazing smile. "You must be Commander McGee."

He let himself smile a little. "And you, of course, are the lovely Miss Scuitto."

"I suppose it's time to say good-bye to Tim. Unfortunately, I didn't really think through the whole handcuffing myself to the bed idea. The key is somewhere out on the front lawn of the hospital. Sorry."

"It's okay. I didn't want you to wake him anyway. I can see from here that he's going to be okay."

She nodded. "He's sensitive but very strong at the same time. It's one of my favorite things about him."

"I guess I'd have to say the same."

"Do you want me to give him a message?"

"Just tell him his old man thinks he's remarkable. Tell him I couldn't be prouder."

She smiled. "He'll like that."

"And Abby, the next time I'm in town, I would really like to take you and Tim out for dinner."

"I'd like that, Commander."

"Take good care of him, Abby."

She lifted Tim's hand and pressed her cheek to it. "I will, Sir."

…

Sebastian sat in front of him, but Tim couldn't seem to get his arms to reach him. He wanted to scratch, claw, and pummel the man, but he was paralyzed. Instead, Sebastian just sat there, grinning. In that smile, McGee knew that Sebastian had Sarah and Abby and Ziva. In that smile, Sebastian was telling him that he could do whatever he wanted. Sebastian planned to enjoy himself for a long time at McGee's expense. No quick or peaceful ending. It would be interminable until McGee could do nothing but beg for death. The anguish enveloped him and he screamed.

"Hey McGee, it's okay."

Tim opened his eyes, breathing hard, to find Gibbs standing over him. "I'm sorry Boss. I wish I had a better handle on these nightmares. When I killed him, I thought they would be gone too."

Gibbs nodded and slid into the chair next to his bed. "It doesn't work that way."

"You never saw your family killed, but you had nightmares about it?"

"I still do sometimes."

Tim thought about it. "And when you do, you pick yourself back up and keep going, don't you Boss?"

"Maybe it's a Marine thing. I don't know. Giving up never felt right."

"I was right to kill Sebastian, wasn't I, Boss?"

Gibbs sighed. "I wish you had, Tim, but he hung on. He's upstairs in intensive care."

McGee jerked his body upward and howled as the many stitches pulled at him. Gibbs put an arm on him. "Stay down. It's okay."

McGee's breath got shallow. "He's upstairs and he's breathing. Why? It can't be good for anyone that he stays alive. Tell me why he gets to live. I don't understand it."

"We kill when we have to, Tim; not because it's convenient or rational. His life wasn't ours to finish."

McGee looked up at the ceiling. "He'll get better."

"And he's going to be on death row. The evidence is everywhere."

"Boss, every time you've said he can't touch us, he does. There are infinite ways for him to manipulate and hurt. Don't forget that he manipulated three different people to hurt us. He never lifted a finger."

"He's unconscious, his heart's bad, and he's as weak as a kitten. I'm not underestimating him, I'm just telling you that he's a man. Nothing more. He's not supernatural."

"I know." The dark circles that had grown under his eyes in the last few weeks seemed to deepen as he spoke.

Gibbs frowned. "You won't sleep well tonight. I should have waited."

"I don't need that kind of protection, Boss. I really don't."

"If you need to talk, McGee, I'm right here."

McGee nodded and then turned his face away. Gibbs could the peace of the last few days draining from his face.

…..

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Had a bit of writer's block. I want to make it good, but I don't want it to be interminable. Now, I think I know where I am going. I so hope you are still reading. Please tell me if you are. Sheila

Uncommon Minds

Chapter 11

Tim walked stiffly up the stairs. It was his first day in clothes, and while his stitches were out, the wounds were still very sore. In fact, several were red and swollen; a side effect of the unclean carpet knife. His cheeks were flushed and he was running a fever. His doctors wanted him to stay a few more days, but McGee was done. Gibbs had already left two days ago, and Tim was jumping out of his skin in that room by himself. Unfortunately, Abby was too busy to handcuff herself to his bed on a daily basis. They all were.

This morning he got up and found his clothes. He grimaced as his injured flesh met tight denim. Then he sat on his bed and waited. Nurses came and implored him to climb under the covers. When this didn't work, the Partridge was called. She folded her beefy arms and stared at him for a while. She called in the doctors. Then she called Gibbs. Together, they decided he could go home as long as there was someone there to monitor his fever, administer the antibiotics, and keep him from exerting himself. Tony was dispatched to pick up the littlest Gibblet and play nursemaid for the afternoon.

The clothes chafed, they also made him feel like a person again. He got impatient waiting for Tony. As a person, he was free to do what he wanted, and so he got up and wandered down the hall and climbed the stairs to intensive care. FBI stopped immediately when he came out the door, and he waited patiently while they frisked him. The senior agent shook his head. "You shouldn't be up here, McGee."

"I want to see him."

"Not a good idea."

"I heard that he's awake now."

The agent nodded. "Yup, and he saw his lawyer this morning."

Time looked past him. "He's evil. You probably think I'm naïve for saying that, but I'm not a newbie. He's a monster."

"I know. You're an experienced field agent, McGee, and I've read the case."

"I just want to look at him, say a few things maybe."

"Yeah, we catalog ideas like that under the category of career-enders."

Tim shook his head in frustration. "Please let me look at him at least."

The agent softened. He knew he would want the same consideration if the circumstances were reversed. "You can stand at the observation window if you want. I'm not letting you get any closer."

Tim followed him up to a window that opened on his bed. McGee got close and stared in. Sebastian was awake and stared back at him. McGee took note of his condition. He was still on a heart machine and an IV, but other than that, he just looked like a man. McGee turned to the agent next to him. "What does he talk about? What does he say?"

The agent chuckled. "He says that you're the dangerous one. He says you've been setting him up for months."

McGee blinked. "Serious?"

The agent shrugged. "He's not my first psycho, McGee. These guys are self-obsessed. In a situation like this, they're going to feel sorry for themselves, feel persecuted."

"I honestly wished I had killed him."

"The truth is that I wish you had as well. We spend way too much time telling ourselves that studying these humps is the reason to keep them with us. Truth is that they don't have anything to tell us other than the fact that there are some people too mean and sick to breath air. You don't have to be a genius to know that."

McGee nodded.

Behind him, the elevator opened, and Fornell stepped out with his briefcase. He stopped short when he saw McGee. "So Swenson, you thought this was a good idea?"

Swenson shrugged. "Kid wanted to see the big, bad wolf. I understood the impulse."

Fornell nodded at McGee, noting the pale, gaunt face and deep shadows under his eyes. "I thought they were going to keep you a couple more days."

"I wouldn't stay."

"How Gibbs of you."

McGee ignored him and turned back to Sebastian. Fornell came over and stood beside him. "He still scares you."

McGee didn't answer.

"I can't let you go in there."

"When are you going to interview him?"

"Not today. Lawyer says no."

McGee nodded, his eyes watery and red. "If I got in there, I would suffocate him, and I wouldn't blink an eye."

Fornell patted him on the back. "After what you have been through, I wouldn't expect anything less, Tim."

"Maybe I'm becoming as soulless as he is."

"Not a chance. You don't prey on weakness, McGee. Your instincts are to destroy evil. Big, damn difference."

The elevator opened. DiNozzo popped out. "McGee! What the hell? I just spent the last thirty minutes trying to find you. Nurses had no clue where you went."

McGee winced. "Leave me alone, Tony."

Tony turned his energy on Fornell. "I didn't head up here right away because I knew the FBI had more sense than to let McGee be anywhere near that frickin' scumbag."

Swenson stepped in. "My fault, DiNozzo. I could understand his need to see the guy. I figured he could handle himself."

McGee threw a glare at DiNozzo. "Thanks Swenson. Apparently, you're one of the few who have faith in me."

"You really going to let him go home, DiNozzo? He looks like hell."

"He's not giving us much choice, Fornell." DiNozzo pulled an ear thermometer out of his pocket. He walked over to McGee. "Are you and I going to have to wrestle over this?"

McGee grimaced but stayed still while Tony placed it in his ear. The thermometer quickly beeped and Tony looked at it. "102 degrees. Nurse told me to check it. It was 101.4 half an hour ago. You're not leaving the hospital today."

McGee's eyes were swimming with fever. "I'm going home. Fever's not that high."

"Tim, I can't wrestle with you over this. You have infected wounds and a chest that was opened up only one week ago."

"I'm not staying!" McGee's agitation left him shaky.

"I'll carry you if I have to!"

Fornell put up a hand. "That's enough out of both of you! Let me make a phone call."

Tim turned away from Tony and focused his attention on Sebastian. The man still looked weak, and he had to remind himself of what the man was capable of doing. The man's eyes flickered open. Tim glued himself to the glass. At first it seemed that Sebastian wasn't conscious enough to recognize his surroundings, but then he caught sight of Tim and froze. McGee slapped the glass. Tony was beside him. "Don't let him intimidate you."

McGee ignored him, staying focused on the man who'd so effectively dismantled his life. Then Sebastian raised his head and mouthed something. Tony was able to make out, "I can still make you scream. Look forward to seeing you."

He looked at his friend, and saw McGee shaking involuntarily. He put a hand on his shoulder but McGee jumped away. "Tim, he can't do anything anymore."

McGee made a face. "We've been wrong every single time we've said that. Just don't say it anymore."

Tony closed his eyes. Tim stared through the glass and Sebastian started to mouth more words. He didn't let him finish. He turned and plowed through Swenson to the door of the room. The senior agent wasn't expecting it and he fell backward. McGee had the door open by the time DiNozzo had his arms securely wrapped around his torso. He pulled back, whispering into McGee's ear. "Can't let you do it. Come now, Probie. I need you to relax. Don't want to open up any wounds."

McGee relaxed in his arms and let DiNozzo pull him gently away from the door.

Swenson was on his feet, scowling. "I didn't expect you to have so much power. I got to take you a whole lot more serious now."

"Wouldn't be here if you'd kicked him out like you should've." Tony shot back.

Fornell slammed his cell shut. "He's delicate, for Christ' sakes. Stop mauling him!"

Tony made a face. "Right. We'll stop pushing him around."

McGee leaned his back against the window. The flush of fever deepened on his face. Fornell looked at him and shook his head. "Ducky's willing to come down and see if you should leave. He wants to put you up at his place for a few days."

"I would like to be alone." McGee mumbled.

"Right now, you're going to have to take what you can get."

McGee's knees buckled and he slid down the wall. "Feeling a little tired," was all he said in explanation.

Fornell let out a breath. "DiNozzo, can you get him back to his room? I'll call Ducky and tell him to wait another day."

McGee glared at him, but Tony ignored him, bending down and pulling him to his feet. "Come on, McSick. Let's get you back downstairs. I got a handful of WWII DVD's in the car. We'll watch some movies."

…

She snuggled up against him on the bed. On the one hand, it was wonderful to have her close like this, but on the other hand he was already hot with fever and had little tolerance for the extra body heat.

"I need you, Tim," she whispered into his ear. "It's time for you to get better."

He smiled. "I would agree."

"What was it like to see him?"

He closed his eyes. It was hard to find words that described the rage in his gut.

"It's okay. Don't say anything."

McGee caught a thought in his head and turned to her. "What about when I'm better? What about when Sebastian is nothing but a bad memory? You won't be afraid to lose me anymore. Will you still want me then, Abby?"

She raised her head and looked into his eyes. "I loved you long before Sebastian. I was afraid to commit. I was afraid that it wouldn't work and then you'd be gone. But with Sebastian around, I've learned that life is too precious, too short for those kinds of worries. I understand that now."

He sighed. "It can't be a complicated friends with benefits kind of relationship. What I want from you is much more permanent than that."

"I know. I want that too, but it scares me. How do I know you'll want me forever?"

"Whether or not you commit, I know that I'm going to love you forever. It's how I'm built."

She wiped the sweat off his brow with a cloth. "I guess that makes me the luckiest girl in the world."

He reached up and touched her flawless skin. "Only if it's what you want too. Don't do this, Abby, unless it's what you really want. I mean it. If it isn't meant to be, then I'll still be your best friend. I promise you."

She laid her head on his chest and felt him flinch. She got up quickly. "I'm sorry. It still hurts, doesn't it?"

"It's okay."

She sat up, swinging her feet to the floor. "They're going to kick me out anyway. I want you to get a good night's sleep so that tomorrow when Ducky comes to check on you. Hopefully, we can get you out of here."

"I hate to impose on him."

She smiled brightly. "He loves it plus he already said me and Jethro can come and stay, and I know you've been missing that big dog."

"Call me before you go to sleep."

She cocked her head. "You'll be awake?"

"I've been sleeping all day."

She leaned over and gave him a long, slow kiss before leaving.

…..

Ziva lay curled up with a book called The Vagrants by Yiyun Li. It was almost 1 a.m. and she had to be up by 5:30 a.m., but that didn't worry her. Like Gibbs, she only seemed to need a few hours a night. The book was both troubling and captivating, and she couldn't wait until she saw Tim next. He'd given her the book and loved to talk over the merits and weaknesses with her. The two of them had their own little book club. She knew he was moving to Ducky's tomorrow, and thought about going over there for the evening. Surely, Abby would share him for at least a few minutes.

She sat up suddenly at the sound of her front door lock turning. No one had a key except Tony, and he knew better than to stop over without calling. She was on her feet, gun in hand, creeping out into the living room.

….

Sarah McGee never heard her door open. She didn't know anything until strong hands were grabbing her around her torso. The tension of the last few weeks erupted and she screamed out, kicking wildly at her attacker. She was petite and looked fragile, but she truly had the McGee tenacity. She balled her hands into fists and started punching everything that moved.

…..

"I can't believe you're still awake."

"I slept through most of Tony's movies today."

"Nurses will get mad if they catch you on the phone."

"I'll be okay. The Partridge has a soft spot for me."

"Well, dear Timmy, I'm getting sleepy."

"Okay." He was getting ready to say good-bye when he heard her gasp.

"What, Abby? What?"

"Oh my God! I think I hear someone in my house."

McGee sat upright. "Where did you put the bat I gave you?"

"It's in the closet, but I'm afraid to move."

"Do it! Get the bat now! Do it!"

Abby climbed off her bed and darted over to the closet. She could hear footsteps in the next room. She felt inside the closet, and by a karmic act, the bat was the first thing she felt. Her bedroom door slowly opened and she screamed.

McGee was out of his bed and pulling his pants while simultaneously punching 911 into the phone.

…..

McGee was breathless in the cab he found outside the emergency room. He could barely make out the numbers on his phone. He had to breath and hold it in so his anxious fingers could tap in Gibbs' number.

"Boss! Someone's in Abby's apartment!" he hissed into the phone.

"I sent the police there 10 minutes ago."

"How'd you know?"

"Ziva had two attackers break in about half an hour ago, but she's okay. Tony's there now, and the bastards are lucky they're alive."

Panic gripped him. "Sarah!"

Gibbs closed his eyes. He was talking to McGee from the emergency room of the hospital. Sarah was brought in by ambulance just minutes ago. She'd been beaten badly, but lucid enough to have EMT's call him. She made him promise not to call Tim or her family. "It's okay, Tim. I've talked to her. Call me again as soon as you get to Abby's."

He closed the phone before Tim could inquire further. He turned back to Sarah. One eye was swollen shut, and her jaw was purple. She looked at him with her remaining eye and lifted her hand. He grasped it tightly and leaned over. "You're going to be okay, Sarah. I promise you."

The open eye teared up and she turned away from him while hoarse sobs escaped her throat.

…..

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: I hope you are still reading this. It's been a little unexpected, but I have a direction for all of this. I would love to hear from you if you still like this. Sheila

Uncommon Minds

Chapter 12

McGee fell out of the cab when it stopped in front of Abby's. He noted three squad cars, and felt a well of relief wash over him. He pulled himself to his feet and headed for the entrance. He reached the front door just as two police officers escorted out a man in cuffs. McGee slammed the man in the face with his fist. Everything devolved for a bit while guns were drawn and he was pushed to the ground. Luckily, he kept his badge in his jeans. After the initial screaming back and forth, he was able to convince them to pull it out. Things changed after that, and he was pulled to his feet. The suspect was bleeding freely from his nose and the swelling had started. "I'm going to sue you, Navy pig!"

McGee ignored him and looked at the cops. "Abby Scuito? Is she okay?"

Policeman looked up the stairs to see a lean woman in black pigtails hurtling down the stairs. "Abby!" McGee choked.

She launched herself into his arms and they clung to each other.

The perp spit out some blood. "That's the bitch that advertised her address and rape fantasies on the internet. She wanted me to do this."

McGee tried to pull away but Abby held him fast. "It's okay, Tim. I did what you said. I grabbed the bat. He had a knife, but my reach was better. I think I broke a couple of his ribs. Then I heard sirens sounding, and then everything was okay."

"I was setup!"

McGee glared at him. "What website? Where did you find her address?"

"I'm not talking to you. I'm pressing charges. I was handcuffed when you attacked me. It's assault. The police witnessed it."

One of the officers pulled him to his feet. "Go ahead. Do what you gotta' do. My problem is that my eyes were averted when the alleged assault occurred. I didn't see a thing."

"Me neither," echoed his partner.

"Frickin' police corruption!"

McGee pulled away from Abby and approached. "You want to charge me with assault? I don't care. I just want to know the website. You tell me the website or I'm going to make that assault charge really count."

Nervous, the perp turned away from McGee.

"Now!" McGee screamed into his face.

"It's a sexual fantasy website called playful proclivities or something. I even talked to her on the phone before I showed up. It was all setup. She wanted me to bring the knife!"

McGee turned back to Abby, hugging her fiercely. "Let's go, Abs. We gotta' call Gibbs."

He pulled her out the front door and onto the stoop. Then he turned back to the cops. "If you need to arrest me, I'll be at Bethesda."

"What about me? I didn't do anything wrong!"

McGee wrapped his arm around Abby and urged her not to look back at him as he led her away from the building.

…..

Tony folded his arms and leaned against her fireplace in the living room. He watched as Ziva gave her statement to the cops. As dispassionately as humanly possible, she recounted how she shot both intruders and hogtied them. Police seemed stymied by her lack of affect, and Tony figured, at some point, he was going to have to do a little explaining about Ziva David or she'd end up being arrested for two attempted murders.

His phone rang and he picked up. His eyes widened as he listened and then he slammed the phone shut. "Ziva! Boss needs us at the emergency room. Sarah and Abby were attacked as well."

She looked at him sharply and grabbed her coat.

…

It was confusing to Tim that Boss was at the ER. He would've come to them, not wait for them to come to him. He knew Ziva was okay. Boss had said so. He said that he'd talked to Sarah, but McGee remembered that Gibbs said nothing as to how she was.

At the ER when he spotted Gibbs, he let Abby run ahead so she could get the comfort from him that she needed. Gibbs was standing in front of a curtain. McGee was compelled by this particular curtain. He passed Abby sobbing in Gibbs' arms and pulled back it back. Then he stopped and stared. It was as if he was absorbing every hit she'd taken to the face and body. An overwhelming feeling of nausea hit him and he had to hold on to the curtain to stay upright. She turned her face toward him and opened an eye. "I'm sorry, Tim."

"Oh God, Sarah!" Exertion, fever, and stress came together and he swayed. Gibbs was there to catch him.

"She's going to be okay, Tim." He whispered into his ear. "I talked to the doctors. There was no rape. She fought him hard and she screamed. Neighbors heard and started pounding on her door. Scared the assailant. He escaped out the bathroom window."

It felt like the Boss' voice was a million miles away. Tim reached for his sister. Gibbs helped him. "Be careful, Tim. She's got a lot of bruises and probably a concussion. She needs to see you being strong."

McGee nodded. "I can do it, Boss, but I need you to help me. Don't let go."

Gibbs nodded. Tim reached out tentatively and looked for a spot on her face that wasn't hurting. "It's okay, Sarah. You're…going to be fine. I'm right here," his voice was soft and slow as he fought to keep the tears back. She reached for him and he hugged her as tightly as he dared.

Gibbs was keeping McGee propped up with one arm and holding Abby with the other when Tony and Ziva showed. Gibbs gestured at Ziva, and she came over, relieving him of Abby. Tony swallowed hard and waded in. "I'll help Tim for awhile."

Gibbs backed away. McGee was completely spent and seemed ready to slide off the bed. DiNozzo jumped in and propped him up. "I got you, Probie."

….

A few hours later, McGee was back in his hospital bed, his fever spiking to 103 degrees. He'd been sedated. Abby was sleeping in a chair, her head resting against his arm. In the bed next to him was his own little sister, Sarah. Her sleep was restless, filled with whimpers and sobs. DiNozzo sat next to her and held her hand. It would be dawn soon, an end to another sleepless night. DiNozzo let Ziva and Gibbs take point on this particular investigation. He had a strange need to stay with the McGees. Probie was his kid brother. He'd long established that fact in his heart. It only made sense that McGee's kid sister belonged to him too. He hadn't been around her much, but she had every bit of that deep McGee loyalty and heart. Until McGee was on his feet, he needed someone to watch over Sarah. DiNozzo felt that responsibility deep in his gut.

"Hey." It broke his reverie and he looked down at her. One clear eye was opened wide. "How's Tim?"

Tony squeezed her hand and leaned over. "He's resting now. We had to slip him something so he would stay down."

"He's okay?"

Tony glanced across the bed to McGee. "He's going to be fine, Sarah."

"Tell him that I fought the man as hard as I could."

"It was impressive work, Miss McGee."

"When I close my eyes, I get so frightened. I know you keep saying it, but I don't think I'm going to be okay. I think these dreams will destroy me."

He nodded. "I know about bad dreams, and it's going to get better. Think of it like this: someone pushed you into a pool, you're wet, you're treading water, and you're scared. It takes awhile before anyone is there to pull you out. Even then, it takes some effort, but it happens and you end up on dry land again. Eventually, someone brings you a towel and you dry off. After a while, the incident in the pool is just a distant memory. It's a stupid analogy, but stick with me here. We're still trying to pull you out of the pool and soon, you'll feel dry land. And then other things will help, and pretty soon, you'll be just fine."

"Weird but helpful. Can you promise me you guys can pull me out?"

Tony nodded. "Yup. I'm holding on to you right now, and I'm not going to let go."

"Thanks, Tony."

"Want to see the sun rise? Can I let go long enough to open the curtains? It might help to know that yesterday is gone forever."

Sarah nodded, then waited while Tony got up and opened the curtains for her.

…..

McGee slipped out of bed a few hours later. Abby groaned but didn't open her eyes. Sarah was sleeping and he took a minute to just watch her. DiNozzo held her hand tightly while his face rested on the mattress, snoring gently. DiNozzo could be very difficult at times, but it was worth it because the man had a heart as big as Texas. McGee smiled at the two of them. Sarah's bruises would heal and her memory would fade and she would stay on her feet because that's what a McGee did. He hoped Tony was ready to sign on for some long term support because if McGee was successful, Sarah would need it. He wanted to go over and touch Abby's hair but she was so sensitive to his presence now and she would wake. More than anyone, he'd felt she'd understand.

Tony left his gun in the bedside drawer. McGee lifted it out quietly. He pulled on his pants again and left the room. His fever had broken, and his hair was plastered to his head from the sweat. He would act fragile when the elevator opened on Sebastian's floor. They'd humor him again because he'd been a victim. He didn't have a plan beyond that. He didn't even need to get into the room. On his previous visit, he'd noticed that the observation glass wasn't that thick and it certainly wasn't bulletproof.

He stuffed the gun in the front of his pants. He still wore his hospital gown, but it no longer seemed out of place.

He slipped into the elevator and pressed the button. When it opened again, he was staring straight into his Boss' face. He looked down because the man could read him like a book. Gibbs got into the elevator and pushed him to the back. When it started to descend, he hit emergency stop.

"I need the weapon, Tim."

"I know what I'm doing, Boss. It has to happen, and I'm the one who needs to do it."

Gibbs pulled the gown up and grabbed the gun out of his waistband. "You don't need to do this."

"He almost killed Sarah and Abby, and he could have killed Ziva. I'm not going to fight. I'll take the first deal they offer. I figure that with extenuating circumstances, I'll probably get less than ten years. I won't be able to be an agent anymore, but I can live with that. Who knows? Maybe, Abby will still be there when I get out."

Gibbs hit the wall beside Tim's face. "This is exactly what keeps you from getting your own team, Tim. Yes, it has been talked about, but the problem with you is that you're too willing to fall on your sword. You'd take responsibility for Pearl Harbor if you could figure out the science of it. You seem to think that you're a recurring character in your own life. You're not expendable! Losing you hurts us…very much! Understand that, McGee!"

"He's gotta' die, Boss."

"He's already dead."

McGee's mouth fell open.

"He went into heart failure about 3 a.m. this morning."

McGee slumped against the wall. "Thank God!"

"You think this is over, Tim? I want to show you something."

Gibbs handed Tim a clipboard. "Take notice of his lawyer's name."

Tim looked down at the name, Stan Baise. It took him a moment, but then he breathed in sharply. "It's an anagram for Sebastian. Oh God, he's still out there!"

"Maybe or maybe Mr. Baise is a Sebastian accomplice. It would make sense that Sebastian might be more than one person."

McGee nodded. "If that's true, then we've got some work to do, Boss."

Gibbs smiled. "I've been waiting almost a month to hear that from you, McGee."

He reached back and took off the stop. The elevator opened and they found DiNozzo standing there, hands on his hips, his hair standing straight up on one side of his head. "Give me back my Sig, McBurglar."

Gibbs walked past DiNozzo and said, "This never happened."

"Got it, Boss." Tony said. He whipped out his thermometer and narrowed his eyes. "Don't move. I'm going to check that temp."

….

Ducky's home was old world charm. A large Victorian, it was all tall ceilings, wood floors, and beautiful arches and inlaid wooden hutches. McGee hoped that he would find a beautiful home like this one day. He could imagine afternoons on the front porch watching his children playing in the front yard. He sat in the rocking chair, his hand rubbing the neck of his shepherd, Jethro. He still carried a small fever, but he was feeling much more alert than he'd been in the hospital.

He reached over with his free hand and enveloped Sarah's hand. She was reading from a limited edition Emily Dickinson they found in Ducky's library. He hung on her every word. McGee loved poetry. They were like small stories filled emotions and beauty. Details weren't important. A good poem was something you heard in your gut. Sarah scrubbed at tears every once in awhile, but Tim said nothing. He'd done some reading on surviving assaults, and he knew that sometimes just being there for someone in great pain was enough.

"You must be getting tired of this," she said, looking up from her reading.

He shook his head. "Not a chance. You could read to me all day."

She smiled and reached for an iced tea. "It's like we're prisoners at the most wonderful bed and breakfast."

"Yeah. It's a lesson for you. Once you meet really good people like Gibbs and Ducky, you find a way to keep them in your life."

"You still want me to call Dad."

He nodded. "He deserves to know, Mom too. It'll be hard, but we're wrong to not share our lives with them."

"He's so controlling."

Tim shrugged. "He's been learning, Sarah. We need to help him grow."

"Why are you like this?"

He smiled. "You are a carbon copy of Dad- all impatience and high expectations and frustration. I've always been more like Mom- a worrier, a perfectionist, a caretaker. My destiny is to understand his intentions, and yours is to push against them."

Her second eye had opened that morning, but it was still puffy and purple. "I'm going to be okay, aren't I?"

He squeezed her hand. "You're like Dad. You're not going to let this take you hostage. You will beat it. That's who you are."

A car rolled up Ducky's drive. Tim squinted. "It looks like Boss, Fornell, Tony, and Ziva. I wouldn't expect them in the middle of the day."

McGee waved at them and then waited as they climbed the porch. "Beautiful spring day, isn't it, Boss?"

Gibbs nodded. "It's good to see both of you out."

"You look like Mark McTwain out here on the veranda." Tony was grinning at him. He walked over and kissed Sarah on the cheek.

McGee smiled but could sense that this was more than a social visit. "Can I get some tea for you? Ducky has a pitcher in the refrigerator. Boss, I could make some coffee."

Everyone shook their head, standing around in their suit coats enjoying the spring air. Ziva went over to Sarah. "I'm glad to see you. I was hoping you and I might have a talk."

Sarah seemed puzzled and looked at Tim. He nodded. "You and Ziva belong to a very select group of women. I thought there were would be things she might understand better than I would."

Ziva squatted and caught her eyes. "Ducky has the most beautiful gardens, and there is a trail down to the lake. Would you like to take a walk with me?"

Sarah took a deep breath and nodded. Ziva got up and pulled her to her feet. McGee nodded at Jethro, and he got up and trotted after them. The two of them and a large German Shepherd walked down to Ducky's lilacs.

Tim watched them disappear and then turned to his friends. "I assume that you need to speak to me about some things."

Fornell and Gibbs sat down in rocking chairs while DiNozzo leaned against the porch railing. Gibbs leaned forward. "We wanted to update you on the case."

McGee said nothing.

"We found the bastard that attacked Sarah. Name is Steven Porter. Just out of the Pen for 6 months on an aggravated assault. Dumb as a bowl of oatmeal. Sarah messed him up pretty good; bruises, scratches and a swollen jaw. He was full of evidence when we grabbed him. Metro has him now, and they're charging him with 1st degree assault and attempted rape. He's going away for at least 3-5 years."

McGee growled. "I would like ten minutes with him. I'm serious. I'd like a chance to show him what being terrorized really feels like."

"That's why Metro has him. Tony here ran him into a door a couple of times before I could pull him off."

Tony shrugged. "I couldn't help it that he was so clumsy."

"Tell Sarah he isn't going anywhere for awhile."

McGee nodded.

Fornell took a breath. "In other news, the man who died in the hospital was named Burton Moore. He worked with for the phone company for thirty years. Never married. No children. Retired three years ago."

"Was that Sebastian?"

"He was the one who kidnapped me and tried to kill you. Of that, there is no question."

McGee rubbed at his forehead. "That doesn't answer my question."

"Tim, there is no way to answer your question." Tony leaned against a column.

"What about the anagram? Did you find the lawyer?"

"The name was a fake. We have video of him, but Abby hasn't found anything on facial recognition."

"We've gone through all of Moore's things. He had an old desktop that we went through. There was nothing remarkable on it. He was simply using email and reading news sites." Fornell added.

Tim stood up. "Well, that proves it. He wasn't Sebastian."

Gibbs put up a hand. "It only proves that he didn't use that particular computer for his criminal activities."

Tim made a face. "Do you honestly believe this is over? Who set up Sarah, Abby, and Ziva? Come on!"

"Sit down, McGee."

McGee ignored him and walked over to the other end of the porch. "I never expected you to give up, Boss. Never."

Tony followed him. "No one's giving up."

Fornell nodded. "I can't justify a task force right now. Enough evidence points to Moore. The minute we caught him, all contacts from Sebastian ceased."

McGee's face reddened, and he pointed out to the lawn. "What about my sister? Moore didn't do that, did he?"

Gibbs got up. "That's an active investigation, Tim, and it will stay that way until we find whoever put the fake messages on the rape fantasies board."

McGee locked eyes with him. "What does your gut tell you, Boss?"

"It tells me that we've hit a wall. It happens. You've been there with me before. Sometimes, we have to move on. It doesn't mean we forget, but we wait until another opportunity presents itself."

McGee closed his eyes. "I want to understand. I do, but I believe he'll wait until we've relaxed, and then I think he'll be back, and I believe he'll still want what is most precious to me. That's what my gut tells me."

Gibbs nodded. "And when he does, we'll be ready."

McGee shook his head. "I hope to God you're right, Boss."

Gibbs patted him on the shoulder. "You're not alone, Tim. We're all together on this."

Tony's phone rang and he picked it up. He turned to Gibbs. "They found Johnson. He's in custody. We better get over there."

Tim frowned. "Who's Johnson?"

Tony didn't quite meet his eyes. "We caught a new case this morning."

Gibbs' eyes scanned the lawn, noting that Ziva and Sarah disappeared down the path to the lake. "We'll leave Ziva here and pick her up after we talk to Johnson."

Fornell took his coat off. "I think I'll stay too. McGee and I have business to discuss. One of my boys can pick me up. McGee, tell me where to find that iced tea."

Gibbs' eyes rested on Fornell for a moment, poised to ask a question, but he didn't. He just nodded and headed out to the car, DiNozzo following along behind.

…

It was 2 a.m. but McGee still couldn't sleep. There was nothing wrong. Ducky declared a victory when tonight's temperature check didn't break 100 degrees. Part of the problem was that sleeping lost its allure when you could do it whenever you wanted. Appreciation for sleep came when you worked hard and actually needed it. The night was warm enough to have the window open. A slight breeze left the curtains dancing. Then he heard the car door close in the driveway and he sighed.

She was coming as she did every night. She'd show up at some dark hour, and climb into bed with him, intertwining arms and legs until she'd effectively molded herself around him. She loved him and he felt it every time she looked in his eyes. Part of him still questioned the permanency of it, but he had a deep need for Abby Scuito. She did more for him than a thousand antibiotics ever could.

She stepped quietly into the room, shedding her shirt, bra, and skirt. She reached for one of his t-shirts and pulled it over her head. McGee insisted that Ducky should never find a naked surprise in the morning.

He lifted the blanket and she crawled in beside him. She was always full of whispered reports about her day, detailing for him more than he ever wanted to know about forensics. McGee let her ramble for a few minutes, then he reached over and pulled her mouth to his. He liked just kissing her. There was always a bit of cherry Caf-Pow flavor but he liked that sweetness. It fit her so well.

She fumbled for his boxers, but he grinned against her lips. He'd already removed them in anticipation. Their lovemaking had changed since the rookie agent woke up in her coffin all those years ago. Now, he was a more confident lover. It wasn't about the release as much as it was about the journey for him. He felt like each time they made love could be their last. He took his time to appreciate every inch of her soft skin. Abby seemed to understand this as well, and left her playfulness behind when they came together.

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Another chapter already! It's probably going to be at least five days for the next one. I really need to hear from you on this one. I have either 'jumped the shark' or added something interesting. I need you to let me know on this one, please. Sheila

Uncommon Minds

Chapter 13

"McGee! What the hell?" Tony caught him trying to slip into an elevator. Tony stuck his hand through and forced the doors open. McGee raised his eyebrows but said nothing as Tony came to stand beside him. "You were supposed to return to work this week."

"Sorry about that, Tony. My leave's been extended."

"Really? And you weren't going to stop in the bullpen and tell us all about it? Looks like you are trying to make a quick getaway."

"I wasn't. Just didn't want to bother you guys."

"Why is your leave being extended?"

Tim looked down. "I have a few things to figure out."

Tony folded his arms. "Really! I can't wait to hear all about it."

There was a blush on McGee's cheeks. "I haven't been returning your calls or Ziva's. My bad. And I was hoping to get a few minutes with the boss, but I guess he's up in MTAC with the director."

The elevator dinged on their floor and DiNozzo pushed McGee out. "Well, we're right here. Ziva's been fretting about you. It'll give you a chance to explain everything to both of us."

McGee frowned. "I'm not trying to be elusive. I have some things, issues, that I need to resolve by myself."

A dark head peeped above the divider. "He's back!"

Ziva hugged him so hard he choked on her thick hair. Tony pulled him off and spun him toward a chair. "He's not here to play with us, Ziva. I caught him sneaking out of HR. He has extended his leave."

Ziva darkened. "Why? We are ready to have you back."

McGee squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. "Will you let me explain, DiNozzo!"

Ziva and Tony wheeled their chairs over to him. "We are listening to you, Tim."

McGee let out a deep breath. "I have some things to figure out."

"What things?" Ziva stared at him as if in interrogation.

"Okay. Sarah, for instance. I want to keep an eye on her."

"And?"

"Well, I'm feeling pretty good, but the doctor wants to do some tests on my heart. There's a bit of a murmur, and there's some concern that scar tissue is blocking the flow of blood."

Ziva visibly paled.

McGee threw his hands up. "I shouldn't have said it. It's nothing. It wasn't even worth mentioning."

Tony frowned. "You got heart trouble, Probie?"

"No! No! No! I promise! I have to have these tests, but it doesn't prevent me from coming back to work. Really. It was silly to mention it. Let's just forget it."

"Well, that's pretty impossible now. If this heart thing really isn't a big thing like you say, what's preventing you from working?"

McGee dropped his face in his hands. "I need to make a decision. And for that, I need time. Alone time. None of you can help me with it."

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Is this decision about our favorite forensic scientist?"

"No…and eventually yes." He mumbled through his fingers.

"I am very confused by that," Ziva said.

"The reason I was sneaking out was to avoid Abby. She and I talked about this last night. I asked for some space to make a decision that was ultimately mine, but hopefully would include her. She's pretty mad at me right now."

"Ya' think?" McGee looked up to Gibbs staring down at him.

McGee exploded. "Please people! Have you ever needed time to think about something! I just need some space!"

Gibbs furrowed his brow. "It depends on what you're thinking about, Tim. If it's about Sebastian, then you don't get any space at all."

Tim nodded. "I have six computers in my apartment filled with every bit of tracking and snooping software I could find or develop. I am tracking all anagrams of the name, Sebastian as well as combinations of keywords he tends to use and characteristics of his crimes. It's a waiting game, and the minute one of those programs hit, I'm going to be on the phone with you screaming for help. Swear to God! I do not have a death wish. I'm no hero, Boss."

Ziva frowned. "Then why cut us out…especially Abby?"

"I'm not cutting you out. I have to make a decision and it has to be because it is the right thing not because you think it is or Abby thinks it is, but because I know it is."

Tony screwed up his face while he tried to process that statement.

Tim stood up. "I know you trust me. How many times have I had your six? This is not a dangerous thing. This is a 'what's the next direction in my life' thing."

Tony shook his head. "That sounds a little dangerous to me. Personally, I don't think your life needs any direction at all."

"I've asked for extended mental health and medical leave. Have I earned it?"

"You've earned it." Gibbs said.

"Thanks Boss. I'm not going anywhere. I just have to know the truth about something."

"You'll be talking to Tobias?"

McGee reddened and dropped his gaze. "I will."

"Good. Tobias is a good man. He'll steer you right."

"Thanks."

Tony frowned. "Tell me that little chipmunk isn't poaching McGee 'cause I've been waiting for an opportunity to NCIS all over his little FBI."

Gibbs sighed. "Shut up, DiNozzo." He put a hand on McGee's shoulder. "Do me a favor. Go downstairs and tell Abby one more time that it's going to be okay."

….

She didn't whine and he didn't stutter. He just looked in her in the eye and told her that his love for her was stronger today than it had ever been. He asked her if she trusted him and she nodded. He kissed her tenderly. "See you in a few weeks, babygirl."

She twitched her nose when he left but didn't cry. She did trust him. He was her Timmy.

…

Fornell looked at him. "You sure you're ready?"

McGee rubbed his face. "You really think I can do this?"

"You're a natural, my friend."

Tim took a deep breath and nodded.

The two men got out of the car and walked up to a one story rambler in a D.C. suburb.

…

Fornell walked onto Gibbs' porch in the early morning of a Sunday morning. Gibbs eyed him warily as he sipped from his cup. Fornell nodded. "You're not in the basement with that damn boat."

"I varnished it last night. Fumes."

"Even you have your limits. You got any more of that paint thinner you call coffee?"

Gibbs nodded at the door and Fornell disappeared inside. He returned with a steaming cup.

Gibbs narrowed his eyes. "How's my agent?"

Fornell smiled. "Getting a little territorial aren't you, Jethro?"

"It's been two weeks and not a word. I'm respecting it but I don't like it."

"Want to take a walk with me? The blossoms are breathtaking this weekend. We only have a few more days of it and then it's gone for another year."

"What can you do for him that I couldn't?"

"If you had your choice, you'd drop every lawyer you ever met into the ocean at its greatest depth. I happen to have a more…measured opinion of the legal profession. McGee needed a good lawyer."

"What for!"

"Let's put these coffees in travel mugs and take a walk."

"Damnit, Fornell! I don't want to take a walk!"

Fornell disappeared inside the house. His voice carried out. "If I remember correctly, you keep your travel mugs in the cupboard above the sink. I'm going to grab a couple of them."

Gibbs glared at him when he returned, but he dutifully poured his cup into the travel mug and followed Fornell off the porch. For a few blocks, neither man said anything. They were men who gave up normalcy in favor of a more challenging path in life. Around them, people slowly spilled out of their homes; kids played, men tinkered in their garages, and women, armed with errand lists, drove off in the mini-vans. It irritated Gibbs. He used to be one of these people working in the garage while Kelly played in the front yard with her friends, and Shannon took off to do the 7,000 things she managed to accomplish every day.

Fornell had it too for a while, but a bitter divorce left him in a small house and a daughter every other weekend. Gibbs glared at Fornell. He expected the FBI agent to be a little more sensitive than to walk through this memory trap. Fornell ignored him for the first mile and then he turned north. Gibbs seethed silently until he'd drunk the last of his coffee. Then he stopped. "What the hell, Fornell?"

"The answer to your questions is just over this hill."

"About McGee?"

"Yup."

Gibbs shook his head. "I'll wait until he tells me."

"This is how he wants it, Jethro. He said to bring you whenever I thought you both were ready."

"I don't like games."

"Is that what you think I'm doing? You think that's who I am? Do you even know me?" Fornell shook his head and walked on. He didn't turn to see if Gibbs was following.

Gibbs sighed and trotted until he was alongside him again. The top of the hill looked down on a park. Fornell scrambled down the hill and sat down in the grass about 50 yards above the equipment and the huge sandbox. Gibbs followed him. The two men sat there for a moment and then Gibbs let out a gasp. "What have you done, Fornell?"

In the middle of the sandbox sat special agent Timothy McGee in jeans and a t-shirt. He was listening intently to a 3-4 year old child who was kneeling before a mound of sand, digging. The little girl threw up her hands, and Tim leaned over and helped her search the mound of sand. Something small was unearthed and the little girl jumped up and down, clapping wildly. McGee grinned at her with the same energy he did when Gibbs first told him he belonged to his team.

Something rose up in Gibbs' gut and he struggled to swallow it. "This is wrong, Tobias. That's Aurelia's child, isn't it?"

Fornell shook his head. "At first, he wanted to just be her guardian ad litem. He wanted to make sure she was well taken care of in the system. I found him the best family lawyer I knew, and she set it up. I had to do all of the communication because of Sebastian."

"This is reckless. This could destroy him."

Fornell ignored him. "She went into a foster home where they already had five foster kids. An older one bit her on the ear the first week so she was transferred. The second home couldn't deal with her nightmares. Then she was put into a crisis nursery for a week. Picture an institution for 3 year olds where no one knows your name until they read the tag on your shirt."

Gibbs squinted. She was thinner than Kelly had been at this age. Her skin was light brown, and she had large green eyes. The mass of coppery brown curls on her head was captured in two pigtails. She was anxious and kept checking to make sure McGee was still there. Gibbs saw how she left her hand on his leg while she played.

Tobias continued. "The fourth placement was the best. There are only three other foster children and the mother stays home all day. It's an okay situation for now. She's on a 6 month waiting list for a therapist. When Tim got to Ducky's, he called and asked if I could arrange for him to meet her. I didn't jump on that bandwagon. I also felt like he could get trapped in a no-win situation. I don't know if you've ever noticed, but he can be one stubborn SOB when he wants to be."

Gibbs nodded, his face relaxing as he watched them.

"He's been doing respite with her the last two weeks. He's purchased things. He's learned to make macaroni and cheese and chicken fingers. His apartment is littered with juice boxes and fruit snack wrappers. She's still having nightmares, but he gets up with her and tells her stories until she falls asleep again. He's worried about how to make this work, but he's more committed to it every time I talk to him."

A grin played on Gibb's lips.

I mean, you could argue that Abby should have been with him from the start on this, but I think McGee's got good instincts. He needed to know his feelings about it before he brought her in. There are no guarantees that it won't be just him and Gabriella."

"Abby will fall in love with her instantly," Gibbs whispered.

"I called her before I stopped in to see you. She should be showing up any minute."

Gibbs looked up at the sky. "You're the very devil, Fornell."

Tobias grinned. "We don't get to see things like this very often. It's worth the front row seat."

Gibbs smiled. "She has pigtails just like Abby."

"I had to help Tim wrestle with her earlier. Pigtails are my specialty."

"I used to do braids on Kelly."

Fornell shook his head. "Braids. That's some complex shit, Gibbs."

Abby Scuito appeared in the park, looking around warily. Gibbs started to get up, but Fornell grabbed him. "Let it play itself out."

McGee spotted her before she spotted him. He stood up slowly. The child noticed and clutched onto his pant leg tightly. Abby saw McGee and her head cocked. Gibbs could just imagine all the possibilities she was reasoning in her head. McGee remembered Gabriella and picked her up. He introduced her as Aurelia's child, and Abby's hand flew to her mouth. She stood in place as if frozen. McGee walked over and put his other arm around her, whispering softly into her hair. He led them all over to a picnic table and sat down. For a few minutes, there was fevered talking and crying. Gibbs grew anxious.

Then McGee showed off the pigtails he created and Abby captured the little face in her hands. She was smiling broadly and the little girl grabbed one of her pigtails. There was laughing and Abby was hugging the little girl tightly. McGee sighed deeply and gave the two of them space to discover one another. He looked up for a moment. Then he caught sight of Gibbs and Fornell. He waved a hand, grinning broadly.

Fornell shrugged. "Who knows? I guess there's no telling how this story ends."

Gibbs was rubbing moisture from beneath his eyes. "Are you kidding, Tobias? That little girl just found herself a family."

"Now who's jumping the gun?"

"There's a daycare in the NCIS building."

"I'm sure there's a waiting list a mile long."

"I'll find a spot. Don't you worry, Toby. I'll find a spot for that little girl."

…

Tim was flushed and his cheeks were wet. Abby had lured Gabriella over to the swing set, and the two of them were chatting away at one another. He couldn't meet Gibbs' eyes when he approached and was stunned when the tough marine enveloped him in a hug. Tim gave him a tentative smile. "Pretty risky proposition, Boss. I have no idea how to do this right."

"You're doing fine, Tim."

"Gabriella deserves a real family. Maybe I'm fooling myself that I can be the one. It's sort of laughable, right?"

"You're going to be a great dad, and it's good to see that you're not just doing this as an obligation to Aurelia."

McGee's eyes watered. "I miss her whenever she has to go back to the foster home. It's not easy. She's scared of a lot of things, and she can pitch a fit like nobody's business, but I adore her. I love watching her little mind learn things. Developmentally, she's behind her peers, but I'm not worried about that. I won't push her like my father pushed me. I just want her to be happy."

"You'll do fine."

"It's still a long process. A single man adopting a little girl is something the courts look at very carefully. I don't know what I'll do about the long hours I work. I'd like to think there's a way; I'd like to think that I could pull my weight for both her and you."

"A lot of NCIS agents have children. We can figure it out."

"Really?" Tim's eyes were filled with uncertainties.

Gibbs put his hands on McGee's shoulders. "Yeah, McGee. I promise."

McGee rubbed at his eyes again and nodded. "Good to hear."

"Abby seems to like her."

McGee smiled in her direction. "I knew she would. Abby's got enough love for a stadium full of children."

"Take it one day at a time."

McGee nodded. "I'm so glad you're here. I wanted to talk about this with you from the beginning, but I know fathers and daughters are a complicated topic for you and with Fornell, not so much. I know you have a goddaughter already. If this works out, I'm hoping you'll consider taking on another one."

Gibbs nodded, his voice breaking a little. "Well, I guess I better meet her then."

Then a wail sounded as Gabriella fell off the swing. The little girl didn't trust Abby yet, and she came running over to McGee. He swung her up quite naturally and comforted her. She was a pretty little girl whose green eyes were big and it struck Gibbs how her eyes were the same green as both Abby and McGee. She opened a chubby hand and showed him how she had captured a beetle. The poor thing had seen better days, and McGee hastily threw it away. She blinked at this and the wailing returned.

Gibbs laughed. "Here, give her to me. Go pick something from that lilac bush over there and grab some blossoms. You can't just take away treasures just 'cause they're nasty, Dad."

McGee transferred the child and went trotting over to the lilac bush. Gibbs rocked the little girl and told her sweet things, and she clung to his neck and hiccupped. Then Abby was there, tears having made trails down her face. He reached over and touched her cheek. "Are you going to be okay?"

"I'm overwhelmed right now. I don't know what to think, but he wants me to take my time and…she's really very special, isn't she?"

"They all are, Abs. It's amazing to me how many people just don't get it."

McGee returned with a handful of lilacs. Gibbs plucked a couple from him. "My friend, Gabriella and I, are going to plant these beautiful purple trees in the sand. Why don't the two of you take a few minutes?"

He walked away with Gabriella and the lilacs. Fornell grinned at him from a park bench. McGee turned to Abby. "Was I wrong?"

She shook her head and hugged him tightly. "Don't think that you get to do this alone, Timmy. Now that I'm here, we're doing this together."

Tim's phone buzzed and he frowned. He let go of Abby and looked at it. What he saw made him gasp. It wasn't much noise, but it got Gibbs' attention and Fornell's. McGee rubbed a hand across his face and looked up at them all. "I found him. He's back."

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: My brain did gymnastics all week over this chapter. I have devised a way to finish this in two more chapters. Please tell me if this works for her. I took quite a risk with some of our beloved characters. Sheila

Uncommon Minds

Chapter 14

DiNozzo picked up Ziva and showed up at McGee's place within an hour of the call. He'd wondered what his probie had done with the last two weeks and worried that it had to do with Sebastian. Gibbs had nixed any surveillance. Made him promise he wouldn't go to Silver Springs until McGee contacted them. DiNozzo had reluctantly agreed that he would give McGee space.

It was the apartment that first gave him a clue as to what McGee had been doing. It was cluttered as usual, and his Computer Master Mind Command Center had grown even bigger, taking up much of the main room. He spotted Abby and McGee with their heads deep in the middle of it.

However, the rest of the apartment was a surprise. Missing were the typewriter, record player, and countless shelves filled with books and the collectibles. Instead, he saw a kitchen counter littered with plastic Elmo dinnerware and bright colored toys hiding under chairs. He looked into the living room and saw Gibbs seated on the couch with a little girl sleeping on his shoulder. DiNozzo closed his eyes and swallowed an anger rising up in him.

He took a deep breath, "I don't object to pre-school agents, but you really going to let her sleep on the job?"

Gibbs could see the energy building in Tony. "Relax, Tony. You're getting ahead of yourself."

"'Cause I shouldn't react when my friend gets obsessed with a dead girl's child?"

Tony started to pace. Fornell came out of the kitchen and Tony turned, pointed a finger in his face, and hissed, "This will go wrong and he will get hurt, irreparably hurt. And I will blame you!"

Ziva sat down next to Gibbs and put her hand lightly on the child's back. "This must be Gabriella. I guess I should have seen this coming. This is very much a McGee thing to do."

Gibbs looked at Tony once more and then transferred the sleeping child into Ziva's arms. "In the hallway, DiNozzo."

Tim looked up.

Gibbs waved him back to his work. "We're fine. Just going to have a little conversation in the hall."

DiNozzo and Fornell followed Gibbs out the door.

…

Ziva breathed in the scent of the child; it was a combination of sugar, baby powder, dirt, and cheese. She chuckled to herself and held the girl tightly. Abby looked over and smiled, "What do you think, Ziva?"

Ziva closed her eyes, emotion growing in her face. "Sometimes I forget how much I've given up for this life."

Gabriella rubbed her face on Ziva's neck and sleepily searched for her thumb. Ziva observed this all with great fascination, leaned over the curly head, and whispered, "You will call me, doda, which is Hebrew for auntie. And I will babysit you every chance I get, and maybe one day, I will have a little friend for you."

…..

Tony hit the wall outside McGee's apartment. "What's wrong with you, Boss? Can't you see what this will do to him?"

Fornell stepped forward but Gibbs put a hand on his arm. "Let him get it out."

"He doesn't let go. You know that. He won't let go and it will be too much, and we'll lose him, and he'll have to compromise for her. All of his potential and talent will take second place because he feels an obligation to a dead girl's child. Do ya' think McGee was born to be a mother?"

DiNozzo stared the two older men down. "He can't be everything to everybody. Don't you understand that? This is not the right thing and it's not being done for the right reasons!"

"He get like this often?" Fornell asked.

"He's worried about his best friend, Tobias. You oughta' try it sometime."

Tony threw out his hands. "You're not even going to respond to me? Instead, you're going to comment on me like I'm an exhibit at the local petting zoo."

"Go take a walk, Tony. We'll need you back soon 'cause of the Sebastian threat. And when you come back, pay attention to what you see in McGee's eyes. Then you'll know the truth of it."

Tony looked ready to start in again, but Gibbs put up a hand. "Seriously, Tony. Do what I say. It'll help."

Tony kicked the wall and then turned and walked out.

"You said he was likeable. You said he'd grow on me someday."

Gibbs pushed him lightly. "Do you see how much he loves McGee? Tony would walk through fire for him. You got agents like that?"

…..

The child was awake when Tony returned. She had a sippy cup filled with something red, and she kept hoisting it back like she was doing shots at the bar. Finished, she smacked her cherry lips and handed it to McGee who was sitting there, watching her with the goofiest expression on his face. It was McGee's lovesick face. Tony had seen him flash it at Abby about a gazillion times. Something about it calmed him a little. The child might break Tim's heart, but she wasn't likely to steal his identity, cheat on him, try to kill him, or summarily reject him. It occurred to him that this was the girl that might actually need McGee.

Chairs being in short supply, Tony just slid down the wall and crossed his legs on the floor. "So I hear Sebastian's back."

Tim looked up. "Yeah, we're waiting for you before I briefed everyone on what I found."

"I was a little distracted by your new girlfriend."

McGee closed his eyes for a moment. "It's going to take you some time, Tony. I understand that."

Gabriella picked up a string of colorful beads from the floor and walked over to Tony, depositing them in his lap. She looked at him out of the corner of her eye and then ran back to hide in McGee's legs.

"She wants to be friends with you, Tony."

Tony frowned at McGee. "I know a bribe when I see one."

Gibbs grunted. "That's enough, you two. Tell us what you found, Tim."

McGee pulled her into his lap and gave her a book. "He's not Sebastian anymore. I thought about this in the hospital a lot. If Sebastian was so powerful, then he would strike when Moore died and I didn't. I mean, he's all powerful or so I thought. It occurred to me after Boss showed me the anagram that Moore was probably Sebastian's assistant. He did the heavy lifting. I don't think Sebastian counted on him dying. I think that the lawyer that visited Moore was actually Sebastian."

Gabriella started hitting McGee in the arm with her book so Abby reached over and pulled her into her lap. "The facial recognition software found nothing."

"I know. I figure that Sebastian is a guy who lives off the grid, so to speak. I bet he has no criminal record. I don't think he has the balls to do much of anything. I think he hurts people and threatens them and they become his army. Alone, he is weak."

Fornell sighed. "Interesting profile, McGee. If Sebastian isn't Sebastian anymore, how do you know you found him?"

"Every hacker has a signature. I use too much firewall protection. That's one of my signatures…although I am not implying that I…hack…computers."

"Whatever, McGee." Fornell rolled his eyes.

"I put all of my interactions with Sebastian through a program which looks for patterns like phrases that are used repeatedly or protocols; anything that suggests a pattern."

"Where did you get the software?"

"I…wrote it," McGee replied.

Fornell shook his head. "You're a national treasure, my boy…as long as you share your technology."

Gabriella wiggled out of Abby's lap, taking her book along with her. She trotted over and dropped it in Tony's lap, taking him by surprise. He jumped and eyed her warily as she disappeared into the bedroom.

Gibbs cocked his head. "You found a pattern then?"

"A few actually: some phrasing and some protocols. He doesn't feel powerful right now. He's lurking on sites rather than dominating them."

Gibbs nodded. "He's trying to find someone to replace Moore."

McGee nodded. "He's calling himself Leonardo DV."

Ziva nodded. "It would make sense that he would consider himself a renaissance man."

Gabriella darted out of the bedroom with two more books. She dropped them on Tony and ran away. "Hey!" He yelped at her retreating figure. A protective Jethro rose up and walked over to Tony, a distinct sound of warning coming from his throat. Tony frowned at the canine nose sniffing him suspiciously.

McGee nodded. "Go lay down, Jethro. It's just Tony."

The big dog sauntered back to his spot and dropped down on the rug with a big sigh, his brown eyes never leaving DiNozzo.

"You're on the floor, Tony. To a 3 year old, it would suggest you are interested in playing," Ziva observed, a smile growing.

Gibbs made an impatient noise and McGee startled. "Right Boss. I would suggest that we don't engage him this time. We do that and he runs. He just crawls further into a hole. And this is where I'm stuck. I have no ideas on how to really find him. He's too sophisticated to let me backtrack his IPS address."

Gibbs looked at Fornell. "We need to find a new assistant for him. We need to be that guy who is gullible and open to influence. That's the only way we'll catch him."

Fornell nodded.

The child appeared again with a stack of books and headed toward Tony. Tony stiffened against the coming assault. As expected, she dropped the books on him. Tony looked down at the books and he froze. He picked up the top one.

She pointed. "That's Mike's book."

Tony looked at the shiny red book front and back. "This is Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel. My mom must have read this to me a thousand times when I was little. I loved this book."

McGee nodded. "Now you have something in common with her. It's her favorite book. We had to read it a mind-numbing five times last night."

Tony cocked his head at Gabriella. "This is about the best book in the world."

She reached in and pulled the other books off his lap, flinging them away. Then she sat down right on top of him, looking up into his face. "Read Mike, please."

Tony's eyebrows went up and he just stared at her.

She smiled artificially big, revealing every single one of her tiny chiclet teeth. "Pleaaaase."

"I told her that was the magic word, Tony."

He narrowed his eyes at McGee for a moment before opening the book to page one. Gabriella stared intently at the page as if seeing it for the first time. Tony began, "Mike Mulligan had a steam shovel, a beautiful red steam shovel. Her name was Mary Ann…"

Gibbs sighed. "Now that the children are occupied, can we get back to the problem at hand?"

…

Hours later, McGee's small apartment still held all of them. McGee hunched over his computer screens bookended by Gibbs and Fornell. "I can create three different online profiles. I suppose we should make them variations on Moore: white man, middle-aged, alone, and angry. I suppose I could put them together tonight although I…worry that I won't get them quite right."

Fornell nodded. "McGee's got a point, Jethro. We need to get just the right tone in these profiles."

Gibbs looked up at the ceiling and sighed. "Spit it out, you two. What are you saying?"

McGee licked his lips. "While it's not you, it could describe certain aspects of you, Boss. I'm thinking that you sort of understand exactly who this man needs to be."

"Well, that's certainly flattering."

McGee looked distressed, but Fornell just chuckled. "I'm not worried about your ego right now."

"Okay. Makes sense. That's what we'll do."

"Boss, we're going to have to do it from here. We can't do this from the network on the Navy Yard. He'll be able to detect it."

"McGee's right."

"I know, Tobias!"

A squeal sounded and a freshly washed Gabriella in pajamas came running out of the bathroom. Tony followed, crouched down and growling. Jethro jumped up. Gabriella disappeared into the bedroom, followed by the Tony monster and a concerned German Shepherd. Squeals, yelling and barking ensued. "McGee, call off your killer dog!"

McGee whistled and Jethro came out reluctantly. McGee nodded at Gibbs. "Tony's really starting to loosen up, don't you think?"

"When does she go back to the foster home, Tim?"

"As long as I check in with the social worker twice a week, she can stay with me the next two weeks. After that, I can apply for a permanent foster care license."

"Do you think this is the right time to have her here?" Gibbs asked.

McGee blinked. "She's not going anywhere. I'm not afraid anymore and I will protect her."

"Sebastian almost destroyed you only a month ago."

McGee's cheeks colored. "Boss, did you stop being a Marine when you had a family? How about you, Fornell? Are you still Emily's dad when you're working the big cases?"

"Hey McGee, didn't mean to offend you?"

McGee closed his eyes. "Sorry, Boss, but if I can't do this now, how will I be able to do it later? It's never going to be easy. I want to make this work."

Gibbs looked at Fornell and nodded. "Okay, Tim."

Abby and Ziva appeared from the kitchen and went into the bedroom. More giggling ensued. McGee nodded. "If it's all the same to you, maybe we can pick this up in the morning. I'm tired and I think I've put my girlfriend through quite a lot today, and I'd like to see how she's doing."

"Good idea." Gibbs and Fornell got up. Gibbs leaned around the door to the bedroom and barked at his team. Soon, the group cleared out of the apartment.

McGee walked into the bedroom. Abby was curled up with a sleeping Gabriella in her little bed. Tim sat on his bed. "How are you, Abby?"

"I don't know."

"I did it this way because it was best for me, but it wasn't really best for you. For that, I apologize."

"I understand what you did."

"You like her?"

"Stupid question, McGee."

Tim lay down and watched her. "I should be scared of Sebastian, but it's you, I fear."

"Really? That's hard to believe. You haven't asked me anything."

McGee closed his eyes. "I want to raise this child, and I want to have a family, and when I think about this, it doesn't work unless you're there too."

"What does that mean, Timmy?"

He rubbed his eyes. "It means that you're the one, you always have been. I worry that this scares you, and so I've been reluctant to give this more definition. I don't need something traditional; I just need you."

She smiled. "That was very sweet."

He shook his head. "Sweet gets me almost nothing, Abby. Sweet has been a non-starter for me. Sweet Timmy McGee isn't talking to you right now. I'm a man and I love you. I want you to be my wife. I want to raise this child with you. I want us to have more children. That's what I'm trying to say to you."

Abby swallowed hard, her eyes teary. "I don't know how to respond."

Tim sighed deeply. "I did exactly what I said I wasn't going to do."

"I just don't know."

McGee nodded. "Hand her to me. She's not wearing her nighttime diaper. She should be potty trained by now, and I thought that we'd…she and I… would work on it this week."

"I'm not going anywhere, Tim. I just have to think."

Tim picked Gabriella up and headed for the diaper bag. The little girl was too tired to really wake, and he was able to change her without difficulty. When he got back to his bed, Abby was in it. She patted a spot and Tim lay down, putting Gabriella between them.

Abby reached over and stroked his face. "I love you so much. I just…need to think about it."

Tim nodded and closed his eyes. He smelled Gabriella's clean hair and then he kissed her. He had nothing more to say to Abby. He promised himself that he would claim this path whether she followed him or not.

….

By the time Gibbs showed up in the morning, McGee calculated that he'd had about 45 minutes of sleep from the night. Gabriella woke at 3 a.m. from nightmares, and it took three doses of Mike Mulligan and two other stories before she fell asleep. Abby's frenetic energy never allowed her to sleep past 5:30 so he got up with her while she got ready for work. Neither said much, but she was very tender with him in a way that McGee interpreted as sympathy. It left him stiff and aloof with her. It was an awkward good-bye.

Gabriella woke and Tim had his hands full with a little girl who went to bed too late the night before. She whined and complained, and threw her Elmo cereal bowl on the floor. He mopped up milk and cereal while she whimpered for more food. In the end, Tim gave her some dry cereal while he lay down in the bed with her and read books. For some reason, books had become the answer to everything, and she calmed considerably.

She was still in her pajamas when Gibbs showed, and McGee saw it as a failure of sorts. He let Gibbs in and then hurried her into the bedroom where he let her pick out green sweats and a pink Dora shirt. Two pigtails seemed complicated so he tried for one and soon she wrestling with him. Gibbs came in, picked her up, and whispered to her for a moment. Then he sat down beside Tim and showed him how to do braids. She looked better with them, but there were still tufts of hair busting out at all ends.

"How's Abs?"

It surprised him and he hesitated.

Gibbs shrugged. "She'll be fine."

"I scared her back into the trees. Sometimes love isn't enough."

"She'll come around."

Tim narrowed his eyes. "Really? She doesn't want this like I do. What if I do get her down the aisle and then have to spend the next five years trying to convince her she didn't get trapped? Sounds miserable for all involved."

Gibbs closed his eyes. "I…don't get involved with this stuff. Three divorces should tell you why…Abby is like a daughter to me. You know that…I've been watching the two of you for 8 years, and…the last time I've seen a relationship look this right was when I met Shannon. The two of you belong together. Abby's got a lot of fears about commitment, and you have broken down almost all of those walls…I'm cheering for you and Abby, McGee…Been doing that since the beginning."

A crash in the living room reminded them they weren't alone. Tim blinked and rushed out of the bedroom. Gabriella had pulled dishes off the counter in search of more breakfast. McGee picked her up, checked her for injuries, and handed her to Gibbs while he pulled an apple from the refrigerator and started cutting it up. Gibbs took note of the endless patience McGee had for the child. It reminded him of the patience McGee had given Abby all of these years.

… 

McGee pulled on jeans and a t-shirt in time to hear another knock on the door. "That's Sarah, Boss. She's coming to spend time with Gabriella."

He grabbed a pair of socks and pulled them on. When he trotted out to the living room, he was greeted by Gibbs holding Gabriella with Fornell, Vance, and Ducky standing around him. McGee stopped fast. "Ah…hello…everyone."

Gabriella wriggled out of Gibbs' arms and ran over to McGee. He hoisted her up and scanned the faces in front of him. "I wasn't expecting all this."

"She's lovely, Timothy," Ducky said.

McGee didn't respond.

"It's okay, McGee. We're here because Vance wants to take a look at our backyard operation. Ducky has some things to add to your profile of the new Sebastian." Fornell said.

"I wish I knew. I'm not…prepared for so many guests."

"Stand down, McGee." Gibbs nodded.

McGee was an open book in many ways, but he was also a very private man. Almost everyone he worked with was getting a front row seat to what was proving to be one of the most vulnerable times in his life. It was overwhelming, and he couldn't stop the blush that rose on his face.

Vance walked over to him. "This is quite a surprise, McGee." He took her little hand gently. She stared at him with curious green eyes.

"I realize it's unexpected, Director. I will deal with the consequences as they come."

"All children deserve what you are offering her."

"Thank you."

"McGee, you are a white man who is thinking of raising a non-white child. Have you thought about that?"

"Race isn't a concern for me."

Vance smiled. "I believe that, but you, McGee, are not the rest of the world. Any parent raising a child needs to prepare them for the reality of the world in which we live. You have only lived one of those realities."

McGee nodded.

"If you are in for the long haul, you'll need people in your life who can help you understand the other realities. Jackie and I would like to be that for you."

"I don't know what to say," Tim mumbled.

Vance nodded. "From the looks of these braids, we have some practical things to teach you as well."

"I would really appreciate that, Sir." McGee deflated.

"I'll have Jackie call you this week."

"Yes, Sir."

"Now let's sit down with the guys and hammer out this operation."

…..

Abby leaned over the table on her elbows with her face in her hands. Tony pushed the ½ lb. juicy cheeseburger and fries closer to her. She sniffed it, but shook her head. Ziva sat across from her nibbling on the salad she ordered.

"Abs, you guys are going to be just fine." Tony said.

She sighed deeply. "I keep hurting him because I do not know what I want. You should have seen him this morning."

Ziva picked up a slice of red pepper and ate it slowly. "Maybe you're not right for McGee."

Abby frowned. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"I've watched it for five years. There's no way you don't know what you want. You're just afraid to hurt him. I say you face up to the reality of it and tell him the truth."

Tony sighed. "This isn't helping, Ziva."

Ziva shrugged. "I am just saying that this relationship has run in circles for far too long. There has to be a reason."

Abby lifted her head. "I don't know. My parent's marriage was a disaster. It was horrible. Who actually succeeds at this thing? And don't tell me to just live with him because we all know that Tim wants a real commitment."

"I think you should give up," Ziva said.

"Ziva! Whose side are you on?"

Ziva pointed a carrot at her. "I love you, Abby, but this time I am on McGee's side. He deserves something real and permanent. He's probably the very best hearted person I know. You take advantage of that."

Abby blinked. "Okay, that's really not helping."

Tony could feel the tension growing. "Ladies, stay in your corners."

Ziva pushed her salad away. "I think I am decided."

"On what?" Tony asked slowly.

"I will marry McGee. I love him…and I believe he loves me too."

"Whoa, Ziva! Are you nuts?"

Ziva turned to Tony. "It's not a romantic love! You Americans and your grand passions! Ha! I don't believe in it anymore! Passion gets spent and then people have nothing between each other but the memory of it. With Tim McGee, I could settle down. I wouldn't tire of him, he's highly intelligent, a man of principles, and I find him attractive."

"Ziva, you are about ten seconds away from getting my boot up your ass!" Abby tried to scramble out of the booth in the diner, but Tony wedged her back in.

Ziva sighed. "He will be resistant at first, but I can be quite…persuasive. I am sure I will love the little girl easily, and getting pregnant has been on my mind. I would like a stable family life. McGee is perfect for that."

Tony grunted as Abby tried to push him out of the way. "What is wrong with you, Ziva!"

Ziva slid to the end of the booth, gathering her coat. "You, Tony, have always been my grand passion, but you are like Abby; you are unwilling to grow up and commit."

Tony glared at her. "How did we make this about me!"

She shrugged. "It came out. What can I say?"

Abby pointed at her. "Don't you go near him, you Israeli slut!"

Ziva laughed and stood up. "I have to go see a friend."

Abby dived for Tony's pants and then the two of them were wrestling for his gun. He slapped at her hands. "Let go, you little vixen!"

"I'm not going to kill her! I just want to slow her down. I'm thinking the upper thigh. Gimme that gun, Tony!"

…..

TBC


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: I've been fighting with this chapter for days. I too like McGiva, but I signed up for McAbby. It's sweet and silly and solemn. This is only one chapter to go and it isn't a simple one. Please let me know if it works for you! Sheila

Uncommon Minds

Chapter 15

McGee struggled not to drop off right in front of Boss, Fornell, and Ducky. The lack of sleep was catching up with him. It was early evening and the plan was finally taking shape. Instead of three profiles, they created two. After studying Moore's history for some time, Ducky speculated that Sebastian had found him online and then met with him in person. Moore frequented a VFW every day for lunch and an afternoon of cheap tap beers. They pinpointed two other service clubs in the area, and planned to start staking them out in the morning, Fornell was going to be the decoy at one and Ducky at the other. Gibbs attempted to fight for a spot, but Fornell convinced him that it was quite probable Sebastian had seen him when Moore hit him with a car and kidnapped him.

Two decoys were enough. Additionally, McGee would be monitoring Sebastian's new profile, Leonardo DV. Gibbs was going to run the operation through NCIS/FBI task force. It relieved Tim considerably that tomorrow, his apartment would be his own again. The constant presence of people in his personal life was overwhelming. He looked down at the time on the computer. It was almost 6 p.m. Sarah had taken Gabriella for the day accompanied by two FBI agents. He knew she was safe, but worried that Sarah would bring her home overly tired. He needed to get her back on a routine.

Knocking on the door sounded and he jumped up. He was surprised to find a strangely flushed Ziva at the door. She looked past his shoulder and noted Gibbs and company and she frowned. "I thought you would be alone at this hour."

McGee shrugged.

She walked past him with her hands on her hips. Gibbs looked up. "You have something for us, Ziva?"

"I thought McGee would be alone by now."

Ducky looked up. "We should be gone within the hour, my dear."

She scowled at them, but Gibbs just ignored her and went back to work. McGee walked over to her, "What's wrong? You look like you need to talk about something."

"I would prefer it if you were alone."

"Okay. Why don't we go into my bedroom for a moment? You can tell me there."

Ziva nodded, grabbed his arm, and pulled him into the bedroom.

"What's that all about?" Fornell asked.

Gibbs shrugged. "DiNozzo probably did something and she's planning revenge. I swear sometimes it feels like I'm running a frickin' daycare; no offense to little Gabriella."

Five minutes later, McGee emerged from the bedroom, closed the door, and leaned against it. Gibbs looked up and was surprised by the look of shock on McGee's face. He seemed to be leaning against the door for support.

Gibbs frowned. "What's up, McGee?"

McGee shook his head slowly. "Nothing, Boss. Nothing ever, ever happened."

All three men looked at him. "Is there something wrong with you?"

Wide-eyed, he would only shake his head. "I'm…couldn't be better."

Fornell stood up. "Is that lipstick on your face?"

McGee shook his head rapidly. "Nope…not even a little bit."

The three men looked at each other in confusion. Gibbs scowled, "Is Ziva okay?"

For the first time, McGee nodded. "She's…uh…just fine."

Gibbs had enough. "Let her out of the damn bedroom."

They were interrupted by a key opening the front door. Tony appeared, pulling along a handcuffed Abby Scuito with a piece of duct tape over her mouth. Everyone stared at this.

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs yelled.

"Just a minute, Boss," Tony said while removing one handcuff and quickly attaching it to McGee's breakfast bar. Abby yanked at it angrily.

Behind McGee, Ziva started pounding on the door. He pushed against her kicks desperately.

"All right, people! Tell me what the hell is going on now or you are all fired!" Gibbs waved his arms.

Tony stepped forward, looking at McGee. "I assume that's Ziva in the bedroom?"

McGee nodded, looking desperate.

"Boss, do you have your cuffs? It might be best if we secure her first."

Gibbs screwed up his face. "Stop! You idiots! McGee, you let Ziva out of the bedroom, and DiNozzo, you need to start talking now before I shoot you in the foot!"

McGee got out of the way, and Ziva hurtled headlong through the door. She landed in Fornell's arms. Gibbs nodded at him, "Hold her for right now."

Then he turned to DiNozzo. "Now!"

"Uh sure, Boss. It's a…misunderstanding of sorts. You see, Ziva and I took Abby out for lunch because she was feeling bad about a disagreement with Tim, and Ziva got a bit impatient with Abby, and threatened to come over here and marry McGee herself. She was going to skip the whole 'asking him' part. This was understandably upsetting to Abby, and our two lovely yet dangerous teammates are currently at each other's throats."

All eyes shifted to Ziva. She struggled in Fornell's arm. "I can be stability for McGee. Plus, I love him as a friend, and I know I can do a better job of committing than Abby."

Abby tugged at the breakfast bar and glared at her, grunting against the duct tape. Gibbs frowned. "Tony, take the duct tape off Abby's face."

DiNozzo crept over and pulled it off, sure to jump away at the last second. Abby howled. Then she looked at McGee. "Tell me that she hasn't asked you yet."

The look on his frozen face told her everything. Abby turned to Ziva, "I'm going to kill you!"

"I would like to see you try!" Ziva hissed back.

"Shut up, all of you!" Gibbs thundered.

"Timmy, tell me you don't want to marry her," Abby pleaded.

He blinked. "I'm not marrying anybody."

At that moment, Sarah walked in holding Gabriella's hand. Tim strode past everyone and picked her up. Sarah looked surprised at the gathering. "Don't worry, Tim. I fed her dinner."

McGee nodded and then he faced the room, the shaking perceptible in his arms. He spoke in a low and measured tone. "I don't know what the hell is going on here, but I want you all out. Leave my home now. Don't talk to me. Don't call me. Don't text me."

"But Timmy!" Abby cried.

He shook his head. "What's wrong with both of you? What about you, Tony? Did you think this was funny? Will I only ever be a joke to all of you?"

Tony shook his head. "You're not a joke to me. You're my best friend."

"I got frustrated with Abby and I got ahead of myself. I'm sorry." Ziva stopped struggling in Fornell's arms.

"Can we talk, Timmy?" Abby said, a hurt look on her face.

McGee shook his head at all of them. "I don't want to talk to any of you." Holding Gabriella tightly, he met no one's eyes as he marched into his bedroom and slammed the door.

Tony cocked his head. "He seems upset."

Ducky gathered up his coat and headed for the door. "He needs space and I suggest we all give it to him."

"Duck, meet us back at the Navy Yard. We're going to have a little 'come to Jesus' meeting."

Ziva frowned. "But I am Jewish."

Tony sighed. "Believe me, Ziva. Boss isn't planning on talking religion with us."

Gibbs strode past him. "Gimme the keys to these cuffs, DiNozzo. I'm driving Abby and you take Ziva. If any of you are not sitting in conference room A in the next 30 minutes, I will be expecting your resignation on my desk by morning."

"Can I come and watch?" Fornell asked.

"Shut up, Tobias!"

Tony smiled. "Boss, can you say that to him again? I just need to get the camera up on my phone."

"Shut up, DiNozzo!" Gibbs and Fornell shouted at the same time.

….

Gibbs stared at all of them for a long moment and then shook his head. "I don't know what to say to them, Duck. You talk."

Ducky sighed deeply. "It's clear that you all care for Timothy, but your actions today illustrate a disturbing lack of good boundaries and restraint. Timothy is full of uncertainty and anxiety right now. He is attempting to do something very courageous, and instead of support from those around him, he gets all of this misguided angst. There! I said it. Now you must search your conscience regarding Timothy and how you have failed him."

Gibbs looked at the ceiling. "Let me give it a try, Duck."

He turned to Ziva and pointed. "Rule #12, Ziva. Follow it! Do you understand me?"

Ziva nodded.

"Now tell Abby that you will not be marrying McGee."

She folded her arms. "She deserved it."

Gibbs slammed his fist down on the table. "David!"

She rolled her eyes. "I will not be marrying McGee."

He turned to Tony. "Did you not realize that your constant hazing was going to catch up with you? Does he really need to be the butt of all of your jokes?"

"Boss, I was the good guy here. Seriously." Tony said.

Gibbs turned to Abby. "Ziva was teaching you a lesson, Abby, and you deserved it."

Abby looked away.

"Look at me, Abs!"

She frowned in his direction.

"McGee is not your toy. If you want a future with him, tell him already. This is ridiculous! Just do it! Ziva's not the only one frustrated with you. McGee needs clarity from you. Figure it out already!"

She nodded slightly.

"And I don't want to see the two of you fighting again!"

Ziva nodded at Abby. "I apologize for propositioning McGee…or is it proposing?"

"Clearly, you did a little of both." Tony snarled.

Abby frowned for a moment, but a grunt from Gibbs work spurred her on. "I apologize for overreacting. I understand what you were trying to do. And you're right: I do have to figure it out already."

Tony smiled. "Just for giggles, how did McGee react, Ziva?"

She bit her lip and shook her head. "I will never tell."

Gibbs sighed. "The look on his face when he escaped the bedroom told me everything I needed to know. Let's suffice to say that his virtue is very much intact."

Abby smiled and clapped her hands. "That's my Timmy!"

"For right now, he is off limits to all of you…even you, Abby. Wait until he wants to talk to you."

Gibbs got up and glared at all of them. "Now get out of here! And when you come back, you'd better be prepared to act like federal agents. Got it!"

All heads including Ducky's nodded. Gibbs shook his head and walked out the door.

…

McGee lay on his side, his head propped up on his elbow. She was curled up on the bed sleeping in her footie pajamas, still clutching her Mike Mulligan book. He watched her shallow breathing. She was a sweet little girl, but she was also challenging. It wasn't just developmental; her behaviors were of a child who hadn't been well socialized. It would take a lot of patience and time to help her transition to a more secure, confident child.

He felt like he was playing house. Somehow, he convinced himself that he could have both worlds at the same time. He knew that 12-13 hour workdays would be a mistake for parenting Gabriella. She would need as much attention as he could give her. And his career would suffer. There was no way to serve both Gibbs and Gabriella satisfactorily at the same time.

There were moments when he could convince himself that it would easy to count this all as impossible and move on. He could still be her guardian. He could still make sure she was taken care of within the system. Walking away from this tremendous responsibility would be something that they would all understand.

He reached over and held her little hand. He always knew he could easily love a child, but he'd been surprised at how quickly it had happened and how deeply it had embedded itself. The truth was that he had no intention of walking away. He wanted to raise this child very much, and knew that he would have to face the consequences of making that choice.

Maybe it would be close to impossible, but he didn't care. Sebastian had taught him how important it was to stand up against evil. The sociopath had also taught him how precious and delicate life could be. He no longer was willing to wait for the day when a family would be convenient. He suspected that day would probably never come on it's own. And that meant he would end up like Gibbs: strong, skilled, deadly, but infinitely lonely.

All of his thoughts came back to Abby. She'd always been at the center of these plans. She could be immature and eccentric, but she was also the most beautiful and intriguing woman he'd ever known. Best of all, she was a thoroughly good person. He needed a partner that he both loved and admired. Losing her would cut him more deeply than he'd ever reached with that old carpet knife, but he had to convince himself that he could survive it. It was becoming more and more likely that this would be exactly what he would need to do.

Finally, he got up and transferred her to the little bed next to his. He covered her with her blanket and kissed her head. Then he got back into his own bed and stared at her until his eyelids grew heavy and sleep finally took him.

….

They did three days of surveillance where Ducky and Fornell sat at the bars of a Lions Club and a VFW. They sipped on beer, and were friendly to anyone who talked to them. Their eyes grew sharp every time the front door would open, letting the sunlight pour in, and they waited. They each had online accounts on message boards that Leonardo DV frequented, telling the world that this is where they spent their time. They portrayed men who were disillusioned about their country, cast off from their jobs, and abandoned by wives who had suffocated under the weight of their negative energy. They took every opportunity they could to sound off on any number of political or social topics, always taking the position that the rest of the world had it wrong.

The boredom it caused for purposeful men like Ducky and Fornell was stultifying. It was clear that autopsy couldn't do without Ducky for much longer, and Fornell was racking his brains to think of who from his office could take over effectively as Ducky's angry white guy The only consolation was that there would be no more ranting from Ducky as to the state of American beer.

Fornell was in the midst of giving his theory on who was currently screwing up the country to a couple of Vietnam vets when the door opened and a man walked in. Fornell froze mid-sentence. This was the man who had visited Moore in the hospital before he died. This was Sebastian. He dropped his eyes, but something spooked the man and he backed out of the bar.

Fornell excused himself hastily, grabbed his cell, and headed for the door. Outside, the sunlight assaulted him, but he blinked through it. The man was trotting through the parking lot. Fornell swore under his breath. Clearly, their cover was blown. Fornell took after him. The car squealed out of the parking lot, but Fornell was screaming into his cell phone. A dark sedan appeared on the street and rammed into the front of Sebastian's car. Suits tumbled out of the car, and surrounded him. The man offered no resistance.

Fornell shook in frustration. It was good to have the bastard, but there was no way to know if they could find enough evidence to hold him. Sebastian was a sneaky SOB. He glared at his agents. "Process him and take him to NCIS! Have that car towed to the NCIS garage!"

Then he slapped the phone to his ear. "Gibbs! Found him!...He spotted me right away. Tried to run. We got him…He better be dripping with evidence or we're going to lose him…Everything is on its way. You and I are doing this interview together."

…

Through his driver's license, they identified him as Harold Sebastian Wells. He was a former DOD analyst who had been ousted by the agency 6 months before his twenty year retirement. They also found a house under his name. Fornell sent a crack search and seizure team over with a warrant. It's all they did. Sebastian's house was about to be studied like it was a Gutenberg bible.

Gibbs and Fornell left Sebastian in interrogation to stew. Ziva and Tony had been staring through the glass at him since he sat down. He was a man with a slight build, middle 50's, receding sandy colored hair, and wire rimmed glasses. He looked at the mirror like a statue, nothing moving other than an occasional blink of an eye.

The door opened and McGee came in quietly. Neither had spoken to him since the drama at his apartment. Tony smiled, "Hey Probie!"

McGee nodded but his eyes were locked on Sebastian. "How long are they going to wait?"

"They'll be in soon." Ziva said.

McGee walked up to the glass and stared at him. "He just sits there, doesn't he?"

"He's a psychopath, Tim."

McGee sighed. "I want to talk to him."

"Yeah, well, I want a lifetime pass to the playboy mansion, but odds are that's not going to happen. Gibbs isn't going to let you near him."

McGee nodded.

"Tim, I want to apologize." Ziva put her hand on his shoulder.

McGee stiffened slightly. "I appreciate it, Ziva, but I'm just not thinking about any of that now. This man in front of me changed everything, and I'm trying to understand it."

"You were a worthy opponent," Tony said quietly.

Tim shook his head. "I don't know about that."

Gibbs and Fornell walking into interrogation interrupted their conversation. Gibbs took the chair across from Sebastian while Fornell waited in a corner. Sebastian didn't acknowledge them at all. He continued to stare at the mirror.

Gibbs sighed. "They're going through your house right now. I want you to imagine what they're finding right now."

Sebastian smiled.

"Okay, I get it. You're a clever son of a bitch, but we got ya'. You're done. You're not going anywhere."

He got no response.

"We don't really need this conversation. Truth is that we have pretty much what we need. The only thing this conversation does for us is to determine whether or not the death penalty stays on the table."

"Is Timmy behind the mirror?"

"Look at me!" Gibbs growled.

"It is perfectly planned out, Timmy. I know exactly how to play this. You won't win." Sebastian stayed focused on the mirror.

"Look at me!" Gibbs yelled, standing up and slamming the table.

Sebastian looked at him blankly and said, "Lawyer."

Gibbs looked at Fornell and shook his head. Fornell shrugged. They kept the disappointment they were feeling under wraps.

Gibbs rubbed his forehead. "I can't help you if you don't talk."

Sebastian leaned forward and whispered, "Lawyer."

"This is not going to end well for you."

Sebastian leaned back, his arms folded. "Lawyer."

Gibbs hit the table once more and stood up. "Get him a goddamn lawyer, Tobias!" Then he slammed the door behind him.

Behind the mirror, Tim dropped his head.

Tony patted his back. "This is just the first salvo. They're going to find treasures in his house, and we're not going to need that conversation."

McGee nodded.

"Where's the princess?"

"Jackie Vance took her for the day."

"Go home and relax. We're not getting the evidence until tomorrow. Fornell's crew is very thorough. It will be tagged and ready for us in the morning."

"The computer is mine."

Tony smiled. "We wouldn't have it any other way."

"Tell me this thing is over."

"We're almost there, Probie. Now go home, you look like you could use a nap."

"Oh, I'll probably just pick up Gabriella first."

"No!" Ziva said. "I mean, of course, but you need some time to yourself."

McGee frowned at both of them. "We're not back to playing games with my life, are we?"

"Wouldn't dream of it." Tony patted him gently. "Now, go home."

"Yes!" Ziva said, propelling him out of the room with her arm. "Go home."

…..

McGee went back to his quiet apartment. It was fairly clean. He'd found a sort of routine that was working for him and Gabriella. He knew it would be months before he could get to the top of the list for daycare on site at NCIS, but surprisingly, he'd received a call from the lead teacher saying that she could start on Monday. He didn't know who was pulling the strings on that, but he was grateful. It wasn't just about helping her or loving her anymore. It was about the fact that he could see her growth. She hadn't thrown a tantrum in two days and last night she went to bed without a single complaint. He needed to be a part of raising this magnificent child.

He looked at his phone, and found a text from Jackie saying that they wanted to keep her a few more hours. Part of him was happy for the extra time, but the other half already missed her. Reluctantly, he texted back an affirmative. He could use the time to better organize his space.

There was a knock on his door and he frowned. It better not be Tony or Ziva. He wasn't ready for more of whatever they were scheming. When he opened the door, he stepped back. Abby was in the doorway wearing the most amazing dress. It was lavender of all colors. Clearly vintage with a sweetheart neckline and yards of tulle making up a full, tea length skirt. There were no pigtails. Her hair was in a single ponytail. She was wearing white pumps with a spiky heel. She wore an orchid corsage on her wrist.

"Never seen you look like that, Abs."

"Ziva and I spent the afternoon at the most wonderful vintage shop."

"I don't understand."

She walked past him, taking his hand. "I need to apologize for the other day and I need to say some things to you, Tim."

He followed her to the couch and sat down with her. "Abs, if this is a 'dear john' conversation, I would have preferred a text message."

She shook her head. "No way, McGee. I have some things to say, and I need you right in front of me."

McGee frowned. "You're not wearing any black. I don't understand."

She put her forefinger to his lips. "Just listen."

He sighed and leaned back. It was Abby's show now.

She put a hand on his thigh. "Tim, I'm here to clarify some things with you. I've been…difficult, full of fears and anxieties. I've been immature."

He nodded slightly.

She narrowed her eyes. "I was hoping for a little protest on your part, but never mind. The truth is the truth. I'm here to tell you that…I finally want everything you do."

"Abs," he started, shaking his head.

She put a hand on his cheek. "I know what you're thinking, but I don't feel rushed. I don't feel pushed. I feel ready."

"How?"

"I want to grow. We can't be together if I don't learn how to do that."

"Is that what your new dress is about?"

"I wanted to be ultra pretty for you, and all I could think of was finding the most stunning princess dress."

He smiled and touched her face. "You look beautiful."

She moved closer. "I want to be with you always. I want to have babies with you. I want to raise Gabriella. We can be Gabby and Abby."

His hands settled around her waist. "I don't want her to be Gabby. It's too close to Abby, and there's only one of you. What do you think about calling her Ella?"

"Well, we'd have to ask her."

He nodded. "It sounds good, Abby. Are you sure?"

She dug in the bodice of her dress and pulled out a small box. "You've done all the heavy lifting in this relationship. It's my turn."

She kneeled on the couch beside him and opened the box on a thin, platinum band. "Will you marry me, Tim McGee?"

His mouth dropped.

"I promise to be with you through rain, snow, sleet, and ice."

"That's the postal carrier's creed, Abs."

She squeezed her eyes shut. "Right! Okay, from the heart: I will stay with you always. I will be your best friend and your lover, and together, we'll have a family. I will love you when you fart or when you whine about Tony or when you act like you're sick but you're not. If another woman sets her sites on you, I promise to cripple her for the rest of her life. Ziva's teaching me some moves. I promise to obey you when you're right, and to never leave you if your asthma acts up or you get poisoned or shot or kidnapped. I promise to never to take DNA samples from you as a means of proving you wrong…outside of work. I promise to not wear spikes around my neck when I am carrying babies. Um…I promise never to handcuff you unless it is a shared idea…Um, let me think…I promise to wear only some black or there'll be no punk rock played around babies…It's too loud and angry for them and I understand that. I promise to take out the trash if you don't want to, and-"

McGee put his hand over her mouth. "Yeah. That's enough, Abs."

She looked at him wide-eyed and teary. "I don't know how to explain this, but I want this so much that I'm ready to burst into a million pieces. I can't live without you, Tim McGee."

He took the ring from the box. It was simple but elegant. "Where did you find this?"

"Tony and Ziva helped me, but it's not a joke. It's very, very real."

"Stay here." Tim got up and disappeared into the bedroom. When he returned, he had a box of his own. He handed it to her.

She opened it and found a gold ring with diamonds lining the top and bottom edges. In the middle of the ring was a heart, the mathematical sign for more than , and a tiny puppy. He got down on one knee. "I love you more than puppies, Abs."

Her breath hitched and she grabbed it. "Where did you get this!"

McGee looked down. "I had it custom made for you about a year ago. I promised myself I would find the courage to ask you some day."

She put it on and squealed. "We're getting married!"

He hugged her tightly. "We don't have to be in any hurry."

She pulled away and stared at him. "No way. I already talked to the Sisters. We're booked into the chapel for next month."

His eyes widened. "Really?"

She trailed her hands under his shirt. "We don't need a long engagement, my Geeklove. We've got a little girl to raise."

She helped him pull his shirt over his head. The scars were no longer red and puffy. His chest looked strong now. His hands got hopelessly lost in her tulle and she giggled, turning around. "Unzip me, McTiger."

Unzipped, the dress slipped off easily, and beneath it was all Abby. He straddled her and sat back on his haunches for a moment. "I love you, Abby McGee."

….

TBC


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: OMG! This is finished. It has been such a fun story to write. Thank you for coming all with me on this journey. Please tell me your thoughts before you say good-bye. Sheila

Shout out to TwistedRocketPower. Her story, Buried, is excellent.

Shout out to Gunner's Dream. I try to say thank you to those who have consistently supported my writing. I can't find an email for you. And I appreciated your reviews very much.

Shout out to Alix33 who took time yesterday to review and edit all 15 chapters. That was quite a project, and I really appreciated it.

Precious Pup, I hope you are starting to feel better.

Uncommon Minds

Chapter 16

It amazed him that at a moment like this he was so aware of the things he usually took for granted. It was a sunny day, and he felt the warmth on his head and on his arms. It was so nice out he'd even taken his shoes off in the sand with Ella. Now his bare feet were planted firmly in the grass, and it was soft between his toes. His t-shirt was a tattered John Hopkins and his jeans were his favorite pair with holes at the knees. He had been completely relaxed until he turned around at the park and saw Sebastian standing there with enough C4 around his middle to create a blast radius of at least 75 yards.

Sebastian quietly told him he had one minute to clear the radius. McGee had turned around and started to bark orders to parents and their children. Abby picked up Ella, but hesitated. He looked in her eyes, "Do it, Abby! Don't be afraid to do the right thing!"

Abby's lip quivered, but she nodded and ran with the others.

He was now sitting alone in a playground with his worst nightmare. He searched himself for the panic he knew he must be feeling, but it wasn't there. Instead, he felt calm with a heightened awareness of everything around him. He wondered if this was similar to what Boss experienced in the field; so seasoned, so experienced that his emotions stayed even through any crisis.

"Tim! Tim!" McGee closed his eyes for a moment. She didn't sound like she was nearly as far away as she should be.

"You should answer her." The voice in front of him was quiet.

McGee didn't dare turn his head. "Abby! You stay back!"

"I'm not going to leave you!"

McGee took a deep breath. "Do what I say, Abby! You take care of Ella! You promised me!"

There was no response, and McGee swallowed. "Gibbs needs you! Tony and Ziva need you! Ella needs you! Do this for me, Abby!"

"I love you, Tim McGee! I love you so much!"

McGee's face colored with emotion, but he didn't break. His response came out hoarse and broken. "I love you too, Abs."

"She's doing what you told her, Timmy. She's stepping back more. You carry such authority these days. You've really grown up since we first met."

McGee returned his focus to the man in front of him. He wore a vest of explosives, his thumb tight on the detonator. He'd already told McGee that everything was over once he let go of the detonator. There was no way that McGee could determine the integrity of the bomb from where he stood, but it looked that a design found on several websites. It didn't take a rocket scientist to make an effective suicide bomb these days, especially once you've acquired the right materials. God knows where the psychopath found C4.

"Is your life flashing before your eyes, Timmy?"

The constant baiting he understood, but now he had everything he wanted. Why wasn't he letting go of the switch? An answer dawned on him as he watched Sebastian sweating in front of him.

"Why are you smiling, Timmy?"

McGee's mind went back a few weeks.

….

The evidence had come in wrapped with a bow. They pounced on it like kids on Christmas morning. McGee disappeared into the sub-basement with Sebastian's laptop and went to work. Abby had her own work to process, but she was wearing a new ring and she made sure it was noticed. Ziva studied it with tears in her eyes. Tony assumed that he was the best man and began to make a series of mysterious phone calls. Gibbs even picked her up and twirled her around her lab.

It had taken Tim about ten minutes to realize that the laptop they'd found was a decoy. There wasn't anything on it someone wouldn't find on the average home computer. For a while, McGee convinced himself that Sebastian had hidden something deep in the codes, and he'd even endeavored to take it apart, but, in the end, everything he looked at was standard and clean.

He put two long days of hard work into finding something. Then he agitated Fornell with the notion that the search and seizure team hadn't been thorough. Tony and Ziva were right there with him especially since the evidence that Abby processed pointed to nothing as well. Finally, Gibbs got involved and everyone ended the day with hurt feelings and veiled accusations hanging over their heads. The second search and seizure team found nothing new.

Sebastian's lawyer started calling for his release based on insufficient evidence. A week after they picked him up, the judge released him on his own recognizance. Fornell put a surveillance team on him, but no one was happy. McGee kept a gun in a shoulder holster day and night.

The second night after he was released, Fornell's people caught DiNozzo and David parked in the same neighborhood as Sebastian. Gibbs chewed them out like they were new recruits, but no one really listened. There were too many layers to peel back with Sebastian. It was never going to be the system that would eventually take him down. He'd lived too many different lives and been too many different people. He was too much of a paradox. Juries would be tied up in knots for weeks over the truth of it.

Nobody gave up. It was now a search for his hiding spot; the place he went to when he wanted to work. Rental and purchase agreements were dug up in the land offices of three different counties. Teams of agents worked off of grids and began searching anything purchased within the last ten years. It would take months, but they would find it.

McGee blew up after the first week, upset with his impotence on this case. "He's smarter, Boss! He's just much smarter than we are! We're never going to catch him."

Gibbs looked up at the outburst. "He's smart, McGee, but I've never met a man with less character to him. Did you ever think about that?"

…..

"What's wrong, Sebastian? All you gotta' do is let that thumb go." Taunting the psychopath was certainly dangerous, but he needed to test him. Character is important, and McGee wondered if Sebastian had ever really pulled a trigger himself during his crimes. He'd always been the man behind the curtain letting others do the heavy lifting.

"I'm just waiting until everyone is here. Gibbs should see this with his own eyes. I want to add to the endless well of grief within him."

McGee swallowed. The sirens had started about five minutes ago, and out of the corner of his eye, he'd seen emergency vehicles pull up. He knew that they would make sure that Abby and Ella were well outside of the blast radius. He calmed himself with that thought. Abby was already a terrific mother to Ella. She was so attentive and creative with the child. They were forever on the floor together building something or playacting. He loved watching them. McGee remembered how surprised the social worker was with Ella's progress only two weeks ago.

…..

McGee arrived on time with Ella to see the social worker. He knew Abby was just a few minutes behind. It was her big debut with social services. She wanted to wear the vintage lavender prom dress again, but McGee urged her to just be herself. When she finally arrived, she was wearing one of her favorite knit black sweaters, but instead of the skull he was used to seeing on the front, she had sewed on a gigantic Elmo appliqué. With it, she wore orange polka-dotted stretch pants and sneakers. In her hair, she wore a series of Dora the Explorer barrettes. McGee shook his head slightly when he saw her.

The social worker was an old pro, and she looked Abby up and down. "You are aware that I have seen photos of you. Tim has shared quite a lot about you."

Abby bit her lip. "But I am not that unhappy goth person anymore."

"You've always been happy," McGee said.

"This is me evolving."

The social worker looked at her over the top of her glasses. "Evolving? You've gone from goth to the clothes from Ella's closet. It looks like regression to me."

Abby squeezed her eyes shut and McGee readied himself for tears, but they didn't come. Instead, she looked at the social worker with full sincerity. "I guess I'm trying too hard. I just wanted to show you how happy I am, and what a good mother I can be."

"Who you were was okay, Abby. Tim said that you would refrain from wearing spikes or other sharp objects on your body. The skulls are okay as long as you're ready to explain them to a curious child when she starts to notice. It ends up being a little too metaphysical for your average 3-4 year old, in my opinion, but it's your choice."

McGee took Abby's hand. "I've been talking about what a remarkable person you are for weeks now. The clothes don't matter to me and they don't matter to Social Services either."

The social worker smiled. "What matters is that Ella looks good and she seems happy. She is showing more appropriate boundaries, she smiles more, and the fact that you've toilet trained her in such a short time is nothing short of a miracle. We did a learning assessment this week, and she's testing three months better than her last assessment, and you've only had her for a month. Plus, she's bonding to both of you very well."

Abby blinked. "We have a chance with her?"

"You have more than a chance. Two months ago, I wouldn't have taken a five dollar bet that this was going to last, but today I would be willing to stake a year's salary on it. Both of you are so willing to make the sacrifices and changes necessary to be good parents. You really love her."

"We can have the permanent foster care license?"

"Of course, you can, but I stay involved and we continue our weekly meetings. Then we can start an adoption process within 6 months if you're still interested."

Abby squeezed McGee's hand tightly. "Wow!"

"We know we need more space and we've started to look for a house to buy, and we're getting married in two weeks," McGee offered.

"There is no need to rush things."

Abby looked at McGee. "It's no rush. We've been working on this for eight years, haven't we, Tim?"

…

Sebastian was trembling more, sweat dripping off his face, and McGee worried that his thumb would slip off the detonator. "I won, Timmy. Don't tell me otherwise."

McGee nodded. "You won, Sebastian. You're going to take me with you."

"Think of all you'll lose."

"I'm trying, but my brain keeps taking me to how much I've gained since meeting you. I have you to thank for my upcoming nuptials as well as impending fatherhood. I've become much more confident as well. Surviving your reign of terror has really filled me with a strong sense of accomplishment."

Sebastian stomped his foot and McGee stiffened. "When you provoke me like that, I feel ready to let go of that detonator!"

"I can see that, and while I realize that there is no getting out of this situation, I want you to know that I can die today with a sense of peace. I've become who I'd always hoped I would be."

"Don't shine me on. I know you're terrified."

McGee nodded slowly. "Sure. I'm terrified but I can die feeling the happiest I've ever been. You can't take that away from me."

…..

DiNozzo showed up for work with another gift and McGee rolled his eyes. "Where is she, McParent? Where is my princess Ella?"

"In the daycare, Tony, where she belongs during the workday."

"Aw come on. Let's spring her for a little while. We don't have anything on the docket. Besides, I have a little surprise for her."

"Spoiling her is a bad idea, you know."

"Only you suffer. It works for me because I see only the excitement and happiness, and I get to be amazing Uncle Tony. You're the one that has to pick up the pieces."

"You can go see her during lunch, Tony. She needs routine and structure right now." Tim was going back to his work when he saw Tony jump up and run toward the elevators. McGee looked up and saw Ziva coming with Ella in her arms. Tony remembered his gift and ran back to his desk.

Tim stood up. "I told them downstairs that only Abby or I could remove her. They're supposed to have security measures."

Ziva flashed a badge. "I forged Abby's name and created a new badge. Lots of new teachers down there."

He put his hands on his hips. "This isn't funny, Guys."

Tony was helping her unwrap yet another of the latest hot toys. He'd found a website for the latest hot finds in toys, and was ordering something constantly.

McGee's phone rang. "Hi Abs…No, she hasn't been actually kidnapped…Well, she was, but technically it was done by people who call themselves our friends…Tony bought her another toy…Love you too."

He looked at his teammates. "Believe me, you're going to get an earful once Abby gets up here."

Gibbs came trotting down the stairs from MTAC and stopped short when he saw two of his agents on the floor trying to assemble a toy while a small child stood over them, barking orders. "McGee! I thought we talked about having her in the bullpen during work hours."

McGee closed his eyes. "Yes Boss. Don't know what I was thinking."

Having said that, Gibbs didn't hesitate to reach down and swing Ella up into his arms. "How's my girl?"

She kissed him on the cheek, and Gibbs flashed one of his all too infrequent smiles. Abby came rushing in, and McGee hoped she'd have a little smackdown for Tony and Ziva, but she immediately spied the new toy and dropped to the ground. "We've been wanting this one, Tony. It's going to be great for the kingdom Princess Ella and I are building."

Ziva sat up. "Abby, I forged your I.D. to get Ella out of daycare today."

"Cool! Let me see it."

McGee sighed and walked up to Gibbs. "I should really return her now."

Ella slid easily into his arms. She hugged him tightly around the neck, and started whispering loudly into his ear about which books they needed to read when they got home.

McGee shrugged at Gibbs. "I never know why she always whispers about her books."

Gibbs nodded. "It's not for everyone else, Tim. She wants you to know that it's only for you and her."

McGee flushed. There would always be something special between the two of them, he would make sure of it. He kissed her softly on her head. "Let's go downstairs and get you back in daycare, Ella."

That little mouth was at his ear again. "Today, she's going to read Olivia. Did you ever know about her? She's a mouse and a ballerina and I want to be her friend so bad. Did you want to meet her?"

McGee smiled. "I'll ask the teacher when reading time is. If I'm around when she's reading Olivia, I would love to come and learn all about her."

"Thanks Daddy."

McGee froze. He couldn't figure how she knew to make this connection so soon. He had never mentioned the word in her presence. He caught Gibbs' eyes. "How did she know? I haven't even used that word."

"Kids know when they find their Daddy. It's instinct. Being called Dad is something you don't ever want to lose, McGee."

…..

He saw Gibbs, Tony, Ziva, and Fornell running through the park until they were behind Sebastian, their guns drawn. He closed his eyes. He should feel relief, but he knew that any misstep could cause Sebastian's thumb to slip. He took a deep breath. "Boss! You all need to stop where you are!"

Sebastian swung his head around, but turned back to him before McGee could make a move. "They are finally here to watch, Timmy." There was a strange hitch in his voice.

"Listen to me! He's wired with C4. I estimate a 75-yard radius; 100 yards would be a safer estimate! He reverse-wired the detonator so it goes off when he lets go of the trigger!"

Gibbs crept too close, and McGee cursed under his breath as Gibbs tried to lure him away. "Sebastian, turn around and look at me! You can have me! Let McGee go!"

Sebastian shook his head. "Talk to him, Timmy."

"Boss! He doesn't want you! He wants to finish what he started…with me! You need to move back at least 20 yards!"

"No!"

McGee swallowed hard and said. "If Abby loses someone today, she only loses one of us! She's going to need you, Boss! More than anyone else, she's going to need you!"

Gibbs backed off only a few steps. "She needs you, McGee!"

"Come on, Probie! Hold on! We're going to figure this out!" Tony moved closer.

McGee now started to feel some of that panic he had been lacking earlier. "Boss, remember how you told me that it's a question of character! We talked about it two weeks ago! Please tell Tony to move back!"

Gibbs barked at Tony and he reluctantly moved back a few yards.

Sebastian narrowed his eyes at McGee. "What did Gibbs tell you about character?"

McGee stared back at him. "It makes a man, Sebastian. Genius alone isn't enough."

He nodded. "You're right. It isn't. I thought it was. I thought that it was enough to just be smarter than all of you, but you're going to win by sheer force of numbers. It's unfair. Eventually, you'll find my hideout."

McGee nodded. "An uncommon mind is only part of what a remarkable man needs, Sebastian."

"Are you ready to die, Timmy?"

McGee closed his eyes.

….

Gibbs had called him only yesterday. It was a Saturday, and McGee was sure it was a case. Instead, he was told to pack up Abby and Ella and meet him at an address. It was only two blocks from Gibbs' house. When they got there, they found a For Sale sign in front of a rather battered bungalow. The yard was weedy, and the front porch needed to be re-painted.

Abby smiled brightly. "This is perfect!"

McGee shook his head. "I don't know how to fix all of this."

They walked inside, and found Gibbs and Fornell there, arguing about the right shade to stain the built-in buffet. There were beautiful wood arches and wood floors, but they had been neglected for years. Everything looked worn, scratched, and old. Abby ran up the stairs and Ella followed.

"It, uh, looks…nice, Boss, but I wouldn't know how to rehab all of this. It would be at least $30,000 worth of work."

"$50,000 actually," Fornell said. "The electrical system needs to be re-wired."

"I don't know," McGee mumbled.

Abby appeared on the stairs. "Four bedrooms, Tim! It's perfect. We can turn two of the bedrooms into offices. Wouldn't that be great?"

McGee winced. "It's a lot of work, Abs. I don't know where we'd find the time."

"Varnish, paint, sanding equipment, wood, electrical wholesale: I'm thinking this whole thing would cost about $10,000 without the labor."

"I think you're right, Jethro."

McGee took a deep breath. "I don't know how to do all of this. I mean, we certainly can't pay $50,000 to get it done. If I gave up sleep, I could take this on, but I need to sleep…unlike the rest of you."

Abby and Ella walked down the stairs holding hands. "We'll help."

"Well, I'm completely relieved now." McGee said drily.

Gibbs chuckled. "If you idiots would pay attention, you would see that your contractors are right in front of you."

McGee raised an eyebrow. "I, I, uh…really appreciate that, Boss, but we couldn't impose like that."

"You aren't, Elf Lord. We're offering." Fornell took a sip from his coffee. "I trained as an electrician's assistant before college."

"Hey!" Gibbs said. "I'm getting just giddy thinking about all I could do with this woodwork. It's going to look like a museum in here when I'm done."

"How could we ever repay you?"

Gibbs shrugged. "I'm all out of boats in the basement. Kind of left without anything to do when I'm not working. Plus, it would give me a chance to see more of the lovely Ella."

Fornell smiled out of one corner of his mouth. "Keep the liquor cabinet stocked. That would be a good start for me."

"I could work on the yard!" Abby said, jumping up and down.

"I already called Duck. He wants in on the landscaping. I suspect he'll rope in Palmer as well. Ziva and Tony are going to help with the painting although they don't know it yet."

McGee looked down. "I don't know what to say."

Abby wrapped her arms around him. "That is because you are used to giving, not receiving, Tim. They want to do this because they can, and they love us and we love them. If any of them needed you, you'd be there in a hot minute. I've seen you do it a thousand times. It's who you are. Let them give back a little."

McGee nodded at the floor and then he looked up with soft eyes. "It would be amazing to have your help. And I would like to learn all of this stuff. A homeowner needs to learn how to take care of his space."

Abby grinned at them. "Do you see how old-fashioned he is? He keeps forgetting that he's not responsible for everything, that he and I are a team and he doesn't have to carry it all alone. I mean, eventually, it'll get annoying and I'll have to hurt him, but right now, I just think it's adorable how he wants to take care of everything. I mean, everything he does these days is adorable to me. Like this morning when he farted-"

McGee covered her mouth with his hand. "I guess we'd better talk to the realtor."

"She's already on her way. Should be here in about twenty minutes," Gibbs reported.

…

McGee opened his eyes again. Sebastian was still trembling but holding tightly to the detonator. Fear showed in his eyes. McGee sighed. "You can't do this, can you?"

"Shut up, Timmy! I want your last moments to be terror-filled."

"And I've been unwilling to give that to you."

"I won't die alone here. You're coming with me."

McGee looked past him to Gibbs. "It is all about character. Thanks for teaching me that. You've been the best teacher I've ever had."

Gibbs nodded. "You're in charge now, Tim. I'll follow your lead."

Sebastian stomped the ground again. "Stop it! I want you to beg! I want you to kneel down before me and tell me how sorry you are!"

McGee closed his eyes. He waited a moment and then he yelled, "Ready, Boss?"

Gibbs gave him a nod and then McGee turned around and began walking.

"Get back here! I'll follow you! I blow up others!"

McGee didn't look back. He just kept walking. The walking was to further show Sebastian that he controlled nothing. He was counting his steps. Another five steps, and he would be at approximately 50 yards. Ahead of him, the fire and police departments had established a perimeter that was a good 200 yards away. There was still close to 40-50 yards he could walk before he was endangering anyone in the crowd.

"Get back here!"

After the first 50 yards had been breached, he raised a hand. Nothing happened for a moment. Then he heard Tony yelling at him to run and he did. He heard the shot, and then it was as the world sucked him into a vacuum and he was thrown into the air. The last thing he remembered was the deafening roar.

…..

When he awoke, it was like the ocean was running through his head. It was deafening. Faces peered down at him, and he couldn't quite identify them. Their mouths were moving, but the sounds rushing through his ears was too much.

There was something of a scuffle, and Abby pushed her way through. She dropped down beside him. "You're alive, McGee!"

He could hear only mumbles, but he had no question as to what she was saying. An EMT was trying to elbow her out of the way, but she hung in there. He tried to smile at her, but his face hurt.

"Am I okay?" he asked.

People mumbled distantly at him, and the only clue he might make it was the broad smile Abby kept on her face. Then Gibbs appeared behind her and hugged her around the middle.

McGee caught his eye. "Sebastian?"

"Dead" was the only word he could make out from Gibbs' lips.

"I can't hear anything, Boss," he complained.

"He's dead and you're going to be okay," Gibbs mouthed slowly.

Then he noticed that someone very important was missing. "Ella?"

"Ziva has her." Abby annunciated carefully.

It suddenly dawned on him that if he was okay, then he should be able to get up and walk away from all of these faces. He tried to jerk himself upright, but hands everywhere pushed him back down. Boss shook his head, "Don't move."

Tim frowned and lifted his head carefully. It struck him that he wasn't sure about the presence of his limbs. "Legs? Arms?"

Tony appeared on his left and yelled into his face. "Nothing's missing, Probie!"

McGee could make out his voice and smiled. Gibbs reached over and headslapped DiNozzo. Tony winced and then grinned at McGee. "I'm not supposed to yell apparently."

McGee could still make him out perfectly. He turned his head and watched them insert an IV. He frowned. "I'm fine."

Abby navigated around the EMTs and grabbed his face. "Just relax, Tim. We have to check you out. Let them do their work."

McGee nodded and closed his eyes.

….

When he woke again, he was in a hospital room, alone. He could hear real sounds now and he found that movement came more easily to his body. Groaning some, he was able to sit up and survey the damage. He had a bandage around his right arm. He looked under the covers and found some cuts and bruises on his torso. His legs looked fine. While his body ached, he found that he was able to maneuver his feet unto the floor easily. There was still an IV in his arm, but he carefully tugged it out and slapped a piece of tape over the entry.

In the closet, he found his jeans and t-shirt, but no shoes. He slipped on some hospital slippers and slowly got dressed. He hesitated for a moment, but thought it best to look at his face in the mirror. He had a black eye and the bandages on the bridge of his nose suggested it was broken. He winced. It was bad but nothing more than he'd sustained that time he and Tony got into a bar fight. It would have to do for now.

He walked out into the hallway, and stopped for a moment when a wave of dizziness hit. He took a deep breath and kept moving, sliding against the wall. He found the waiting room and grinned. Abby, Tony, Ziva, and Ella were sitting on the floor in the middle of the room working with a bunch of toys. Swaying slightly, one hand on the wall, he made his way toward them. Then he ran out of wall. His next obstacle was to walk the last twenty feet alone. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to find Gibbs standing there.

"How are you feeling, Tim?"

"I just want to go home, Boss."

"You've got a pretty heavy duty concussion there. Been sleeping since yesterday."

"Feel better now. Ready to go."

Gibbs smiled. "Yeah, I can see that. We might actually need to consult a doctor on that."

A thought invaded his head. "Assure me again that Sebastian is dead."

"I shot him right in the back of the head twice and then he got blown up. It was the only way this case was ever going to end."

"It was risky walking away like that."

Gibbs nodded. "But you were right to do it. Man didn't have enough character to follow through on his threats. He was evil but weak. You called it. He was stuck and he was playing for time because he didn't have a way to back out. It would have been too dangerous to wait it out with him any longer. Man's thumb was bound to slip."

"I worried he would follow me."

"Don't know what all you said to him, but he was pretty devastated when you left. I don't think he even considered following you."

McGee nodded. "My family is safe now."

"You did a damn fine job, Tim McGee."

He blushed. "Thanks Boss."

"Take my arm. I'll get you the last few feet to the waiting room."

They walked slowly. It was enough to catch Tony's attention and he jumped up immediately. He trotted over and took Tim's other arm. He whispered in his ear, "This damn concussion is going to put a kink in our bachelor party plans."

"Those are the breaks, Tony."

"You were dreading it, weren't it?"

McGee smiled. "What can I say? I was worried I was going to spend my wedding day in a jail cell."

It lucky that McGee was being supported on both sides because Abby suddenly appeared, wrapping him in a whole body hug. He groaned. "I love you too, Abs."

She realized her mistake and stepped back. "You have no business being out of bed."

"I was lonely."

We were letting you sleep." Then she wrinkled her nose. "But I can't wait to take you home, McTiger."

Tony grinned like an idiot and McGee reddened. "Let's save some nicknames for just the two of us."

Ziva was there too, kissing him on both cheeks. "We all love you so much, McGee."

Gibbs guided him into a chair and he groaned as his sore muscles stretched again.

Abby frowned at Gibbs. "His IV line was pulled out. It's bleeding."

"It wasn't my idea to pull him out here, Abs. Good news is that the Partridge is on duty. She'll fix him up, no trouble. She always sort of melts around me, you know."

Ella stared at McGee for a moment, a frown quivering on her face. "You're all hurt, Daddy."

He smiled down at her. "Come here."

Tony gave her a boost so that she wasn't crawling up his legs. He sat her gently in McGee's lap. McGee put his arms gently around her and she buried her face in his chest. "The bad guy is gone, Daddy. Uncle Tony said so."

He patted her head with his good hand and smiled at all gathered. "He's right. Everything is going to be okay, Ella. The bruises will go away. And as long as families stay together, everything will be just fine."

…..

The End


End file.
